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Centennial  Anniversary 


,...oL... 


Seneca  County 


ind 


Auxiliary  Papers 


published  by  the 


Seneca  Falls  Historical  Society 


2d  Annual,  1904 


XJoAit- 


^^7 


Gift 

The  Society 

18  C  %-- 


Officers. 

Harrison   Chamberlain  , _ President 

E.  William  Mbdden Vice-President 

A.  W.  GoLDER Secretary  and  Treasurer 


Harrison  Chamberlain, 
Hermon  A.  C^fmer, 
Sheldron  F.  Frazier, 


Trustees. 

E.  William  Medden, 

Belle  Teller, 

H.  Grant  Person, 


Albert  W.  Golder, 
Janet  Cowing, 
Lillias  R.  Sanford. 


Addison,  E  W 
Addison,  Mrs  E  W 
Beach,  Mrs  B  F 
Broadway,  Rev  A  W 
Beck,  Cora 
Cary,  Mrs  L  H 
Chamberlain,  H 
Clarke,  Rev  W  B 
Clarke,  Jessie 
Cowing,  Janet 
Carmer,  H  A 
Carmer,  Mrs  H  A 
Cowing,  Mrs  Adaline 
Crosby,  Mrs  May 
Drake,  Linda  F 
Frazier,  Rev  S  F 
Gay,  A  S 
Gay,  Mrs  A  S 
Golder,  A  W 


Merribers. 

Henion,  Anna 
Haney,  Mrs  A  P 
Hopkins,  Jessie 
Holmes,  Edith 
Kibbey,  Mrs  S 
Linehart,  Mrs  H 
Lawless,  Mrs 
Maier,  Emma 
Medden,  E  Wm 
Medden,  Mrs  E  Wm 
O'Connell,  Anna  L 
Pollard,  Charlotte 
Pollard,  W  J 
Pollard,  Mrs  W  J 
Person,  Rev  H  G 
Sanford,  L  G 
Sanford,  Mrs  L  R 
Silsby,  Mrs  M  R 
Stahl,  Ida  May 


Schoonmaker,  Dr  Hubert 
Schoonmaker,  Mrs  Hubert 
Simson,  Nellie 
Simson,  Frances 
Taylor,  Rev  A  W 
Taylor,  Mrs  A  W 
Teller,  Mrs.  A  M 
Teller,  Claribel 
Trautman,  M  Edith 
Trautman,  Mrs  P 
Teller,  Fred 
Vreeland,  Addie  May 
Vreeland,  Ora 
Wetmore,  Mrs.  S  Adaline 
Wetmore,  Edith 
Waldorf,  Dr  H  S 
Wickes,  Jennie 
Williams,  Grace  F 
Wiiliams,  Mrs 


University  of  tu  State  of  Dew  Vork 


Chiarter    of 

Seneca  Tails  l)l$torical  Society 


Whereas  a  petition  for  incorporation  by  the  University  has  been  duly 
received  containing  satisfactory  statements  under  oath  as  to  the  objects,  plans, 
property  and  provisions  for  maintenance  of  the  proposed  corporation 

Therefore  being  satisfied  that  all  requirements  prescribed  by  law  or 
University  ordinance  for  such  an  Asssociation  have  been  fully  met  and  that 
public  interests  justify  such  action,  the  regents  by  virtue  of  the  authority 
conferred  on  them  by  law  hereby  incorporate 

Harrison  Chamberlain,       E.  William  Medden,  Albert  W.  Golder, 

Hermon  A.  Carmer,  Belle  Teller,  Janet  Cowing, 

Sheldron  F.  Frazier,  H.  Grant  Person,  Lillias  R.  Sanford. 

and  their  successors  in   office  under  the  corporate  name  of  Seneca  Falls  His 
torical  Society. 

This  Corporation  shall  be  located  at  Seneca  Falls,  Seneca  County,  New 
York. 

Its  first  trustees  shall  be  the  nine  incorporators  above  named 
Its  object  shall  be  the  study  of  local  and  general  history  and  the  acquire- 
ment and  preservation  of  papers  and  other  articles  of  local   historical  interest 
and  the  territory  of  its  principal  work  shall  be  Seneca  County. 

In  witness  whereof  the  Regents  grant  this  charter 
No   1669  under  seal  of  the  University,  at  the  Cap- 
[seal]  itol  in  Albany,  June  27,  1904. 

A.  S.  DRAPER, 
Recorded  and  took  effect  3:45  p.  m  ,  June  27,  1904  Com.  of  Education 


B 


Index 


Note — Papers  read  before  the  Society  upon  the  occasion  of  the  centennial 
celebration  of  the  formation  of  Seneca  County  will  appear  by  themselves  in 
index  No.  i. 

Additional  papers  read  before  the  scciety  during  the  past  year  wiil  appear 
in  index  No.  2 

NTo,    1 

Introductory    Remarks  by  the  President  of  the  Societ3^       Harrison  Cham- 
lain I 

Historical  Address — Seneca  County.     Hon.   Ded^ich  Willers 3 

Preservation  of  Private  and  Public  Papers.     Dr   William  A.  Macy 24 

Judiciary  of  Seneca  County        Hon.  John  E   Richardson 27 

Reformed  Churches  of  Seneca  County       Rev.  E.  B.  VanArsdale 18 

Seneca  County  in  the  War  of  181 2.      Rev.  Pulaski  E   Smith ...59 

No.    2 

Officers  and  List  of  Members  of  Society A 

Certificate  of  Incorporation,  Seneca  Falls  Historical  Societ}'^ B 

Our  Predecessors  in  Seneca  County — The  Sachem  Ojagecht  and  Cayuga  In- 
dians.    Fred  Teller 35 

The  Seneca  Falls  Fire  Department.      Maj.  Pryce  W.  Bailey 46 

Samuel  Harris  and  his  Son,  John  Harris.     Fred  Teller 62 

The  First  Congregational  Church.      Edwin  Medden 65 

The  Streets  of  Seneca  Falls.      Miss  Janet  Cowing 66 

The  First  Baptist  Church.     Rev.  S.  M.  Newland 72 


Centennial  Anniversary  of  Seneca 

County. 


The  Centennial  Anniversary  of  the 
formation  of  Seneca  County  was  ob- 
served by  the  Seneca  Falls  Historical 
Society  at  a  meeting  in  the  Wesleyan 
jNtethodist  church  on  Monday  evening, 
March  21st,  1904.  Harrison  Chamber- 
lain, president  of  the  Society,  presided 
and  made  the  following  address,  after 
which  he  read  Hon.  Diedrich  Willers 
historical  sketch  of  the  formation  of 
the  county: 
ADDRESS  BY   HARRISON    CHAMBERLAIN. 

To  bnild  up  a  commonwealth  is  a 
noble  endeavor.  To  lay  the  founda- 
tions deep  and  strong,  so  joining  com- 
rautiities  and  counties  together  that 
the  structure  will  be  harmonious  and 
serve  the  public  good  is  a  task  so  patri- 
otic, wise  and  grand  that  it  confers  on 
all  taking  a  part  in  it  an  imperishable 
glory. 

The  formation  of  Seneca  county  was 
in  line  of  State-building,  of  readjust 
ing  conditions  the  better  to  meet  the 
nindsof  an  increasing  population.  And 
how  well  this  adjustment  was  made  is 
evidenced  by  the  fact  that  we  are  as- 
sembled here  to-day  to  commemorate 
its  centennial  anniversary,  and  draw 
inspiration  from  the  lives  of  those  who 
wrought  it. 

I  want  to  speak  for  a  few  moments 
of  the  men  of  1804.  On  this  occasion 
they  deserve  our  meed  of  praise.  They 
were  of  a  sturdy,  heroic  race,  coming 
here,  infiuenced  by  not  the  Spanish 
gieed  for  gain,  not  to  ravage  the  coun- 
try of  its  wealth  and  leave  it  despoiled 
and  barren.  Rather  they  came  to  give 
of   themselves,  to   build    up   homes,  to 


cultivate  the  soil  and  utilize  the  forests 
and  enrich  the  land  by  their  skill  and 
energy.  They  were  builders  of  settle- 
ments, able  to  conceive  and  execute 
great  enterprises,  shrinking  from  no 
hardships  and  fearing  no  dangers. 
Simple  in  habits  and  wanting  maybe 
the  social  polish  of  lo-day  they  pos- 
sessed elements  that  imparted  to  them 
strong  personality.  They  stood  fore- 
most in  their  place,  impressing  those 
about  them  with  their  strong,  manly 
qualities.  They  were  looked  up  to  and 
their  opinions  went  unquestioned;  their 
advice  was  sought  and  confidently  fol- 
lowed. Exact  in  their  ideas  of  life 
their  conceptions  of  duty  were  as  pre- 
cise as  their  practice  of  it  was  rigid 
and  severe.  The  home  had  its  rules 
and  though  these  were  strict  and  un- 
yielding they  were  cheerfully  complied 
with.  In  social  and  business  relations 
tiiere  was  a  like  preciseness  of  upright- 
ness and  integrity  expected  and  de- 
manded of  all.  Mingling  with  and 
softening  these  features  was  a  kind 
and  generou.s  disposition.  It  would  be 
difficult  to  find  examples  of  kind  and 
unselfish  deeds  to  match  the  generous 
and  ready  service  that  the  early  settler 
was  quick  to  extend  to  his  neighbor. 
If  one  were  in  distress  for  food  the  fact 
was  known  and  the  best  of  the  most 
fortunate  was  poured  out.  If  a  house 
or  barn  were  to  be  raised  the  neigh- 
bors laid  aside  their  work  and  came 
to  the  raising.  If  the  hay  or  grain 
were  to  be  cut  and  garnered  and  the 
farmer  for  any  reason  was  unable  to  do 
it  those  in  the  vicinity  came  generous- 


ly  to  his  assistance.  Everyone  felt  in 
close  touch  with  his  neighbor,  though 
miles  might  separate  their  homes,  felt 
a  keen  sense  of  dependence  and  was 
moved  by  a  common  sympathy  that 
drew  families  together  and  created  a 
common  brotherhood. 

The  men  of  1804  were  of  strong  con- 
viction and  purpose.  Indeed  there 
was  no  place  in  the  conditions  of  life 
for  the  weakling  and  vacillating.  In 
the  mode  of  training  the  young,  consti- 
tutional defects  were  largely  elimi- 
nated. The  tasks  im.posed  created 
strong  bodies  and  hardened  muscle, 
the  responsibility  imparted  confidence 
and  courage,  nourished  a  strong  mental 
fibre  f-nd  fitted  the  young  to  take  their 
station  in  life.  In  this  regimen  there 
was  a  Spartan  spirit,  seeking  the  best 
and  strongest  in  character.  And  as 
you  read  of  the  men  of  1804  in  this 
light  yoTi  see  in  the  circumstances  sur- 
rounding them  the  forces  of  denial  and 
sacrifice  that  made  them  strong  of 
mind  and  will  and  enabled  them  to 
achieve  great  deeds. 

In  the  distant  view  there  is  a  beauty 
that  is  apt  to  disappear  upon  closer  ap- 
proach. Are  we  ascribing  virtues  to 
the  men  of  1804  that  they  did  not  pos- 
sess? Have  their  deeds  by  an  inverse 
rule  enlarged  as  we  recede  from  them? 
We  think  not.  The  judgement  of  his- 
tory has  confirmed  their  worth.  Faults 


they  had,  but  virtues  greater  and  more 
enduring.  In  their  veins  flowed  the 
blood  of  the  Puritan,  of  the  Dutch  and 
Huguenot,  a  strain  of  the  most  aggres- 
sive in  thought  and  action,  imbued 
with  a  love  for  freedom  and  erapha.sized 
by  an  ancestry  that  had  battled  for 
more  than  two  centuries  for  conscience 
and  liberty.  Here  they  came  from 
the  fields  of  New  England,  from  Man- 
hattan island  and  the  Keystone  Stale, 
drawn  not  more  by  our  fertile  soils 
than  by  the  liberal  policy  of  the  State 
that  offered  settlers  the  greatest  free- 
dom and  material  advantages.  Here 
was  the  first  West;  here  the  first  field 
of  action  and  enterprise;  here  was  a 
hbeity  associated  with  the  finest  0{)- 
port unity  of  acquiring  an  ample  and 
independent  fortune.  Here  they  lived 
and  toiled;  here  they  planted  free  in- 
stitutions and  laid  the  foundation  of  a 
conunonwealth  that  in  three  genera- 
ti<>us  has  mii.de  the  State  of  New  York 
rank  the  first  in  the  Union. 

Men    of    1804!     We  pay  you    honor! 
We  wreath  a  garland  for  you. 

•'As  we  walk  to  day  the  halls  of  story, 
Mid  pictures  of  the  olden  time, 
And  voices,  from  an  ancient  glory, 
That  charm  us  like  a  silver  chime, 

The  old  and  new  join  loving  hands. 
The  past  hefore  the  present  stands; 
The  ages  give  each  other  greeting. 

And  years  recal!  their  old  renown, 
Their  deeds  of  chivalry  repeating. 
That  won  for  them  their  golden  crown." 


Seneoa    County. 


An  Historscal  Address  by  Hon.  Diedrich  Willers  of  Varick,  N.  Y. 


"Our  Father's  God.  from  out  wbosf'  hand, 
Th«  centuries  fall  like  >?raiiis  of  sand, 
We  meet  to-day,  uniled,  free. 
And  loyal  to  our  land  and  Thee, 
To  thsnk  Tht-e  for  the  era  done. 
And  trust  Thee  for  the  opening  one." 

Mr.  Prf.sident,  Ladies  and  Gentle- 
men:— We  havo  fissenibl«d  here  (uncJer 
the  auspices  of  the  Seueca  Fall.s  His- 
torical society)  to  cotnmeMiorate  the 
one  hundredth  atmiversary  of  the  olii- 
cial  organization  of  the  county  of  Sene- 
ca frotu  territory  of  Cayuf^a  county, 
to  take  a  retrospective  survey  of  the 
century  past,  and  to  seek  therefrom, 
lessons  for  guidance  in  the  future. 

The  consideration  of  a  subject  so 
vast  and  far  reaching  as  this  hi^?to^ical 
review,  covering  an  entire  century, 
within  the  time  allotted  to  roe,  calls 
for  ouly  a  general  statement  and  avoid- 
ing of  detail  relating  to  the  several 
towns. 

Tlie  first  white  men  to  penetiate  the 
wilderness  region,  covered  by  this 
county,  were  missionaries,  pr(tnipted 
b3  no  sordid  motives,  but  solely  with 
self-sacrificing  zeal,  to  labor  for  the 
spiritual  welfare  of  the  ItuJians.  Of 
these,  the  earliest  were  Jesuit  mission- 
aries, who  in  the  period  1051)  to  1G84 
established  mission  stations  among  the 
Cayuga  nation  of  Indians — one  called 
St.  Stephen  at  the  Indian  village  (Tio- 
hero)  situate  on  the  east  side  of  C'ay- 
uga  outlet  (Seneca  liver),  a  short  dis- 
tance from  the  north  end  of  (Jayuga 
lake,  and  another  one  at  St.  Rene 
(Onontare),  near  the  present  villnge  of 
Savannah,  in  the  bounds  of  the  old 
town  of  tJalen,  and  near  the  ninth  line 
of  the  present  county  of  Seneca.  The 
ministrations  of  these  missionaries  ex- 
tended also  to  the  Indians  residing  on 
both  sides  of  Cayuga  lake  and  to  the 
Seneca  tribe  of  Indians  furth(M  west. 

The  dfUdted  iMoravian  missionaries, 
Bishop  CammerliolT  and  I»ev.  David 
Zeisberger,  visited  the  Onondngas  and 
also  the  Cayugas  at  the  principal  town 
of  the  latter,  near  Union  Springs,  on 
he   east   side  of   Cayuga  lake,    which 


they  crossed  and  then  passed  on  foot 
over  the  territory  of  this  county  iu 
1750,  u|)on  a  spiritual  mission  to  the 
Seneca  Indians — returning  by  the  same 
route  after  a  short  absence.  Rev. 
Samuel  Kirkland,  who  served  as  a  mis- 
sionary to  the  Seneca  Indians  at  Kana- 
desega  (near  Geneva)  in  1765  66,  pass- 
ed up  Seneca  river  in  a  batteaux,  across 
this  county.  In  his  ministrations  to 
the  Senecas  he  sometimes  also  visited 
the  east  side  of  Seneca  lake. 

A  few  traders  with  the  Indians  were 
also  early  visitors  between  the  Cayuga 
and  Seneca  lakes  prior  to  the  American 
revolution.  The  military  expedition 
of  General  John  Sullivan,  iu  1779,  dur- 
ini;  a  trying  period  of  the  Revolution- 
ary war,  to  chastise  the  hostile  Indians 
of  Western  New  York,  proved  to  be  of 
great  importance  to  this  locality.  We 
need  not  recount  in  detail  the  onward 
march  of  the  expedition,  or  its  several 
movements  from  Easton, Pennsylvania. 

Leaving  Elmira  (Kanawaholla)  after 
a  ilecisive  V>attle  with  the  Indians,  the 
army  reached  the  east  side  of  Seneca 
lake,  in  the  present  town  of  Hector, 
September  3d,  and  continued  to  march 
northward,  destroying  the  Indian  vil- 
lage of  Kendaia  September  5th,  and 
rescuing  Luke  Svvetlainl,  who  had  re- 
sided there  a  year  as  an  Indian  captive, 
('ontinuing  its  march,  the  command 
reached  and  forded  the  outlet  of  Seneca 
lake  at  its  northeast  corner  and  arrived 
at  Kanade.sega  (near  Geneva)  on  the 
7th  of  Septembei.  'i'he  expedition  then 
advanced  through  the  Seneca  Indian 
territory  to  the  Genesee  river,  carrying 
destruction  iu  its  path,  and  returund  to 
Geneva  by  Septeml)er  19th  The  main 
arniy  began  its  return  inarch  south- 
ward, Sei'teinljer  20lh,  upon  the  east 
side  of  Seneca  lake.  On  the  same  day 
detachments  under  Col.  William  Butler 
and  Col.  Peter  tJansevoort  maiched 
eastward  on  the  north  side  of  Seneca 
river,  completing  the  destruction  of 
the    Indian  village  of    Skoiyase,   upou 


the  site  of  the  present  village  of  Water- 
loo (which  had  already  been  visited 
and  partly  destroyed  on  September  8th 
by  a  detachment  under  command  of 
Col.  John  Harper),  and  encamped 
there  for  the  night.  Resuming?  their 
march  on  the  next  day,  the  detach- 
ments marched  across  the  locality  of 
the  present  town  of  Seneca  Falls,to  the 
outlet  of  Cayuga  lake,  a  short  distance 
north  from  the  lake  and  near  the  Indian 
village  of  Tiobero  (St.  Stephen)  on  the 
east  side.  Fording  the  outlet,  the  com 
mand  of  Col.  Gausevoort  procee(3ed  to 
Albany  and  Col.  Butler  marched  up 
the  east  shore  of  Cayuga  lake,  de- 
stroying several  Indian  villages  and 
pioceeding  to  Elmira,  rejoined  the 
main  army  near  there,  on  September 
28th. 

On  September  21st,  Col.  Henry  Dear- 
born with  a  detachment  of  200  men, 
after  leaving  the  main  army,  marched 
across  Fayette  to  Ciiyuga  lake  and  de- 
stroyed three  Indian  villages  on  the 
west  shore  of  Cayuga  lake,  near  Ca- 
noga,  and  proceeded  south  along  the 
west  shore,  destroying  several  addi- 
tional villages  and  rejoined  the  main 
array  near  Elmira,  on  September  26th. 

The  chastisement  of  the  hostile  In- 
dians was  indeed  severe,  but  paved  the 
way  to  peace  and  to  the  relinquish- 
ment of  their  lands  and  their  occupa- 
tion by  early  settlers. 

General  Sullivan  and  his  army  were 
much  surprised  to  find  on  all  sides  evi- 
dences of  great  fertility  of  soil  and 
beauty  of  location, in  the  lake  region  o( 
Western  New  York,  in  which  are  found 
the  "Finger  lakes"  so  called. 

In  their  deva.stating  march  through 
the  Indian  country  large  quantities  of 
corn,  beans,  m'^lons,  etc.,  were  either 
consumed  or  destroyed;  also  an  abund- 
ance of  apples,  plums  and  peaches. 

The  soldiers  on  their  return  home, 
gave  glowing  accounts  of  the  "Lake 
region,"  which  soon  after  became 
known  as  the  "Genesee  country,"  and 
some  of  the  pioneer  settlers  of  this 
county  were  soldiers  who  had  marched 
with  the  army  across  this  locality  in 
1779. 

Elkanah  Watson  of  Albany,  N.  Y  , 
who  was  interested  in  lands  in  this 
locality,  and  who  made  a  trip  here  in 
September,  1791,  in  writing  of  the 
Lake  country,  said:     "The  map  of  the 


world  does  not  exhibit,  in  any  other 
country,  two  lakes  equal  in  magnitude 
to  the  Seneca  and  Cayuga,  which  are 
so  singularly  and  happily  situated. 
What  a  theme  for  poets,  painters, 
philosophers  and  travelers,  for  the  last 
two  thousand  years,  had  they  been 
found  in  Italy!  In  general,  the  coun- 
try lying  between  these  lieauliful 
lakes, rises  gradually  in  symmetry  froin 
tlie  opposite  shores  toward  the  center, 
producing  a  pleasing  effect.  Whenever 
It  reaches  a  cultivated  state,  by  the 
vigoroui^  arm  of  freemen,  it  will  become 
the  'Paradise  of  America.'  "  The  poet, 
James  G.  Percival,  has  written  of  the 
beauties  of  Seneca  lake,  and  a  member 
of  your  Historical  society, has  written  a 
"Sonnet  to  Lake  Cayuga." 

Our  narrative  of  events  cannot,  how- 
ever, be  confined  to  the  exact  limits  of 
a  century,  but  it  must  relate  back  to 
the  first  permanent  settlements  in  this 
county,  fifteen  to  heventeeu  years  prior 
to  its  official  organization. 

It  is  indeed  fitting  that  our  meeting 
to-night  should  be  held  in  the  town 
in  which  the  fir.«t  location  and  the  first 
settlement  in  this  county  were  made  in 
1787. 

When  this  first  location  was  made, our 
territory  was  still  a  part  of  Montgom- 
ery county,  and  then  passing  through 
three  changes  in  a  decade,  the  county 
of  Herkimtr  followed  in  1791,  Onon- 
diiga  in  1794,  and  then  our  immediate 
parent  — Cayuga  county — -was  organ- 
ized in  i^-  1799,  a  county  which  still 
retained    a  large  area. 

The  po.sition  of  Seneca  county,  as 
will  be  seen  upon  the  State  map,  is  a 
peculiar  one — the  lakes,  Seneca  and 
Cayuga,  bordering  its  west  and  east 
shores,  with  the  Seneca  river  running 
across  the  county  from  lake  to  lake, 
forms  a  part  of  it,  into  a  peninsular 
shape. 

The  county  seat  of  Cayugu  county 
for  a  number  of  years  after  1799 
was  somewhat  fluctuating,  but  in  order 
to  reach  either,  Cayuga  village,  on  the 
east  shore  of  Cayuga  lake,  or  Aurora, 
on  the  same  side,  in  which  villages 
the  county  bu.-^iuess  was  transacted, 
the  waters  of  Cayuga  lake  must  be 
crossed,  and  although,  after  1800,  the 
Cayuga  bridge,  near  the  north  end  of 
the  lake,  one  mile  and  eight  rods  in 
length,  connected  the  present  territory 


of  Seneca  county  with  Cayuga  village, 
the  village  of  Aurora  CDiild  only  1)6 
reached  by  siiiiill  boats  propelled  by 
oitrsni^n  or  i>y  suiail  s-iilinfj  vessels,  or, 
indeed,   liy  a  circuilotisuvtirland  rcnite. 

The  ditBcult  comniuuieatiou  with 
Cayuga  county,  with  county  .seat  rival- 
ries find  the  auibition  of  "local  states 
men,"  were  doubtless  prominent  causes 
for  the  organization  of  the  county  of 
Seneca.  When  the  question  of  the  for- 
mation of  a  new  county  was  first 
agitated  in  1802  seveial  projects  were 
discussed.  One  of  these  was  for  a 
division  of  Cayuga  county  e;ist  and 
wt^st,  by  a  line  commencing  at  Seneca 
lake  and  running  east  on  the  line  be- 
tween Romulus  and  Ovid,  crossing 
Ca\  uga  lake  and  the  military  town- 
ships of  Scipio  and  Sempronins,  to  the 
county  of  Onondaga.  The  territory 
north  of  this  line  and  continuing  the 
entire  width  of  Cayuga  county  to  Lake 
Ontario,  to  constitute  one  county 
(doubtless  to  remain  as  Cayuga  coun- 
ty), and  that  part  of  the  territory  of 
Cayuga  county  as  then  cotistituteil, 
lying  south  of  thn  al)ove  line  to  consti- 
tute another  couuty,  probably  the  new 
one.  It  is  said,  that  had  Cayuga  coun- 
ty been  divided  by  an  east  and  west 
line  as  above,  that  the  county  seat  of 
the  north  county  would  have  t)eeri  es- 
tablished at  Cayuga  bridge  and  of  the 
south  county  at  Ithaca,  in  the  town  of 
Ulysses. 

A  second  project  was  for  a  north  and 
south  division,  substantially  trje  same 
as  the  one  adopted  by  the  Legislature  in 
1804  in  the  formation  of  Seneca  county. 

Still  another  project  is  indicated  in  a 
petition  presented  to  the  Assembly  by 
William  Powell  and  others  of  Ontario 
county,  praying  that  a  part  of  Ontario 
county  and  a  part  of  Cayuga  county  be 
formed  into  a  new  county.  The  As- 
sembly Journal  does  not  show  the  pre- 
ci.se  plan,  but  it  probably  contemplated 
the  erection  of  a  new  county  by  a 
north  and  south  division  of  Cayuga, 
and  the  annexatiiui  of  Geneva  and 
vicinity  thereto. 

The  questi(m  of  dividing  Cayuga 
county  was  brought  before  the  State 
Legislature  of  1803,  when  petitions  in 
favor  thereof  were  presented  to  the 
State  Senate,  and  on  March  16th  of 
that  year.  Senator  Lemuel  Chipnian  of 
Ontario   county,  brought   in    a  bill    to 


give  effect  to  the  prayer  of  the  petition- 
ers. The  bill  was  read  twice  and  com- 
mitted to  the  committee  of  the  whole, 
but  no  further  action  was  taken  there- 
on by  the  legislature  in  that  year.  In 
1804,  however, the  division  quesi ion  took 
active  form  and  a  numlier  of  petitions 
favoring  the  several  prf»jects,  and  sev- 
eral remonstrances,  were  introduced  in 
both  houses  of  the  Legislature. 

Dr.  Silas  Halsey,  a  resident  in  the 
bounds  of  the  present  town  of  Lodi, 
then  Ovid,  had,  while  a  resident  there, 
t>eeu  elected  to  the  Slate  Legislature, 
as  a  .Member  of  Assembly  from  Ooon- 
drtga  county  for  the  years  1797  and 
1^98,  and  again  represented  Cayuga 
county  as  its  first  .Member  of  Asseml>ly 
in  1800  and  was  continued  in  1801, 
1803  and  1804  from  that  county. 

During  this  long  term  of  legislative 
.service, Doctor  Halsey  had  become  well 
versed  in  legislalion  and  had  formed 
an  extensive  acquaintance  at  Albany, 
so  that  his  efforts  in  behalf  of  the  new 
county  were  of  great  value  to  the 
friends  of  that  project,  although  Cay 
uga  in  1803-4  had  three  Members  of 
Assembly,  of  whom  two  resided  east  of 
Cayuga  lake. 

Joseph  Aunin,  a  resident  in  the  pres- 
ent territory  of  Cayuga  county,  was 
one  of  the  Senators  from  the  VVestern 
district  of  thi.^  State,  and  the  imme- 
diate representative  of  Cayuga  county 
in  the  State  Senate  in  1803-4. 

It  is  not  positively  known  whether 
Assemblyman  Halsey  and  Senator 
Annin  both  favored  the  same  division 
project.  However,  on  February  3d, 
1804,  when  a  petition  was  presented  in 
the  A.'*sembly  by  citizens  of  the  town 
of  Hector,  praying  that  the  territory 
situate  between  Cayui^a  and  Seneca 
lakes,  etc.,  be  erected  into  a  new  coun- 
ty. It  was  referred  to  a  special  com- 
mittee of  five,  of  which  Dr.  Halsey 
was  named  chairman. 

On  February  27th  of  the  same  year, 
Dr  Halsey  introduced  "an  act  to  divide 
the  county  of  Cayuga  and  for  other 
purposes,"  which  was  read  twice  and 
referred  to  the  committee  of  the  whole. 
Ou  March  7th  the  bill  was  favorably 
considered,  and  on  March  9th  referred 
to  a  select  committee  of  which  Dr. 
Halsey  was  cliairmau  to  report  com- 
plete. He  reported  back  the  bill  with 
amendments,    which    were   agreed  to, 


J     _.. 


6 


and  on  March  10th  it  passed  the  As- 
sembly. The  Senate,  after  considera- 
tion, passed  the  Assembly  l)ill  without 
amendment  on  March  21st,  and  it  re- 
ceived the  approval^Governor  George 
Clinton  on  March  24th,  1804,  and  be- 
came a  law  on  that  day.  The  name 
"Seneca"  given  to  the  new  county — as 
well  as  the  name  of  Seneca  lake  and 
Seneca  river — isderived  from  the  Sene- 
ca nation  of  Indians,  the  strongest  and 
most  warlike  tribe  of  the  Six  Nations 
oT  Iroquois  Indians. 

The  exact  boundary  line  between  the 
lands  of  the  Cayuga  and  Seneca  nations 
of  Indians  was  not  very  closely  de- 
fined, and  as  late  as  December,  1789, 
an  agreement  was  entered  into  with 
this  State,  wheieby  the  Seneca  nation 
agreed  to  the  old  Pre  emption  line  run- 
ning a  little  west  of  Geneva,  and  north 
to  Lake  Ontario,  as  a  boundary  line, 
and  conceding  to  the  Cayugas  the 
whole  of  Great  Sodus  bay,  known  as 
"Bay  of  the  Cayugas."  The  whole  of 
Seneca  lake,  however,  belonged  to  the 
Seneca  nation,  and  it  is  said  that  a  few 
fishing  villages  on  its  east  side,  near 
its  north  end,  belonged  to  the  same 
nation,  together  with  the  Indian  vil- 
lage of  Kendaia.  All  the  rest  of  the 
present  Seneca  county,  it  is  believed, 
belonged  to  the  Cayuga  Indians.  Our 
county,  therefore,  while  receiving  the 
name  "Seneca,"  was  really  a  part  of 
the  original  domain  of  the  Cayugas, 
and  it  was  the  fourth  county  to  be 
named  from  au  Iroquois  tribe — Onon- 
daga, Oneida  and  Cayuga  haviug  pre 
ceded  it. 

The  county  of  Seneca,  by  the  act  of 
incorporation  of  1804.  embraced  a  terri- 
tory described  as  follows:  The  south 
boundary,  beginning  at  the  head  of 
Seneca  lake,  at  the  southwest  corner  of 
the  town  of  Hector— thence  running 
east  on  the  south  line  of  the  towns  of 
Hector  and  Ulysses,  to  the  southeast 
corner  of  the  last  named  town  (the 
whole  of  the  town  of  Ulysses  and  Hec- 
tor being  included  in  Seneca  county — 
and  the  south  boundary  of  Ulysses  ex- 
tending about  4^  miles  south  of  Ithaca.) 
The  east  boundary,  being  constituted 
by  the  town  of  Drydea  and  the  center 
of  Cayuga  lake,  and  its  outlet,  to  the 
west  line  of  the  town  of  Brutus,  and 
thence  north  in  the  west  line  of  Brutus 
and  Cato,  and  farther  on  north  to  Lake 


Ontario — the  north  boundary  extend- 
ing along  Ontario  lake  to  the  county  of 
Ontario,  thence  south  along  the  Ontario 
county  or  new  Pre-emption  line  to 
Seneca  lake.  The  west  boundary, 
which  has  been  the  subject  of  consid- 
erable comment  aud  controversy,  had 
been  already  defined  in  the  boundaries 
of  Cayuga  county,  estai)li;shed  by  the 
Revised  Laws  of  1801,  (and  continued 
as  to  Seneca  county  in  the  Revised 
Laws  of  1813)— as  bounded  westerly 
by  the  line  called  the  new  Pre-emption 
line,  from  [jake  Ontario  to  Seneca  lake 
and  thence  along  the  west  shore  of 
said  lake  to  the  southwest  corner  of  the 
township  of  Hector. 

After  the  counties  of  Tompkins  and 
Wayne  had  been  erected,  in  part  from 
Seneca  county,  the  Revised  Statutes 
passed  in  1827,  de.scribe  the  county 
boundaries  as  they  now  exist,  as  fol- 
lows: All  that  part  of  the  Slate  bounded 
on  the  north  by  the  county  of  Wayup, 
on  the  east  by  the  county  of  Cayuga,  on 
the  south  by  the  county  of  Tompkins 
(and  now  in  part  belonging  to  Schuyler 
county)  and  on  the  west  by  the  west 
shore  of  the  Seneca  lake,  and  from  the 
north  end  of  said  lake,  by  the  Pre  em[»- 
lion  line,  as  established  by  law. 

The  territory  of  the  new  county,  in 
1804.  comprised  lands  in  the  Military 
tract,  Cayuga  reservations  and  the 
Williamson  Compensation  Patent,  (at 
the  north  end),  situate  iu  the  six  towns 
of  Ovid,  Romulus.  Junius  and  Fayette, 
with  Hector  and  Ulysses. 

The  county  extended  in  length,  north 
and  south,  sixty  three  miles  with  an 
average  width  of  eleven  miles  aud  an 
area  of  744  square  miles,  or  476,160 
acres  of  land. 

One  hundred  years  ago,  when  Seneca 
county  was  organized,  its  population 
was  sparse  and  some  of  its  territory, 
especially  at  the  extreme  north  end, 
was  almost  an  uubroken  forest! 

The  Indian  ownership  of  the  West 
Cayuga  reservation  had  not  been  ceded 
and  relinquished  until  1795,  and  a 
Cayuga  Sachem,  Fish  Carrier,  was  still 
interested  in  a  reservation  at  Canoga. 
Our  pioneer  settlers,  not  infrequently 
met  Indians,  and  as  late  as  1803,  one 
of  the  early  settlers  iu  the  hi)unds  of 
the  present  town  of  Tyre,  was  murder- 
ed by  an  Indian,  although  to  the  credit 
of  both    pioneers   and  Indians,  it  may 


be  said,  that   they  usually   maintained 
friendly  relations. 

The  population  of  the  original  terri- 
tory included  in  Seiiet-a  county  by  the 
U.  8.  Census  of  1800,  was  onfy  4,984, 
divided  as  follows:  Ovid,  includin;^ 
Hector,  3,169;  Romulus,  1,035;  Fayette, 
including  Junius  and  the  entire  north 
end  of  county  to  Lake  Ontario,  803, 
and  Ulysses  937.  The  town  of  Ovid, 
included  the  center  of  population  of 
this  territory. 

It  is  not  our  purpose,  to  enter  at 
length  into  the  history  of  the  set- 
tlement of  the  several  towns,  as  to 
which  there  is  some  dispute,  as  to 
priority.  As  already  stated,  Seneca 
Falls  contained  the  earliest  settle- 
ment by  Job  Smith  in  1787,  followed 
by  Lawrence  Van  (Ueef  and  others,  in 
1789.  Romulus,  Ovid,  Lodi  and  Wat 
erloo  were  also  settled  in  1789,  while 
the  other  towns  of  the  present  county, 
followed  within  a  few  years  later.  The 
town  of  Ulysses,  claims  settlement  in 
1789,  and  Hector  in  1791,  while  the 
towns  of  Galen  and  Wolcott,  which 
foi  n)ed  a  part  of  our  original  county 
(although  not  yet  organized  at  the  time 
of  its  formation),  were  not  settled  un- 
til 1800  and  afterward. 

It  has  been  well  said,  "that  the 
founders  of  every  community,  impress 
their  characteristics,  which  retpaiu 
fixed  for  a  long  period,  perhaps  per- 
manently." 

The  early  settlers  of  Seneca  county 
represented  German  and  Scotch  Irish 
from  Pennsylvania,  Holland  Dutch  and 
English  from  New  Jersey  and  Pjastern 
New  York,  Yankees  from  the  New 
England  States,  with  a  few  persons  of 
foreign  birth.  From  such  an  admi.x 
ture.  including  many  Revolutionary 
soldiers,  a  conservative,  industrious, 
frugal,  and  patriotic  population  has  re- 
suited. 

Usually,  in  the  formation  of  a  new 
county,  there  is  a  contest,  upon  the  lo- 
cation of  the  county  buildings,  and  the 
legislation  which  provides  for  their  lo- 
cation, is  sometimes  very  shrewdly 
drawn,  to  accomplish  a  desired  pur- 
pose. 

'i'he  act  for  organization  of  Seneca 
county,  required  the  su[)ervisors  of  the 
new  county,  to  raise  one  thousand  <hil- 
lars  for  buildings,  and  nanuvl  Jolin 
Sayre  of  Romulus,  James  VauHorue  of 


Ovid  and  Grover  Smith  of  Hector,  as  a 
commission  to  superintend  the  building 
of  a  court  hou.-^e  and  jail,  "to  be  erect- 
ed in  tlie  town  of  Ovid,  and  not  more 
than  four  miles  south  of  the  north  line 
of  said  town,  and  not  less  than  three 
tuiles  from  the  Seneca  and  (^ayuga 
lakes"  It  was  further  pioviiled,  ihat 
the  courts  for  the  coumy  "shall  be 
htjiden  at  the  meeting  hou.se  on  Lot 
No  30  in  the  town  of  Oviil,"  undoubt- 
edly  the  (irst  church  edifice  erected  in 
the  bounds  of  the  present  county — 
about  five  miles  southeast  of  Ovid  vil- 
lage— until  further  h^^islation;  also, 
that  pn.souHrs  bo  confuu<d  in  jiil  at 
Elmira,  until  county  jail  is  completed. 

The  commissioners,  it  will  be  .seen, 
were  really  lestricted  as  to  the  location 
of  the  site,  between  the  North  bvjund- 
ary  of  the  town  of  Ovid,  and  a  line  ex- 
tending south  four  miles,  reaching  to 
the  present  town  of  Lodi.  and  three 
milns  east  of  Seneca  lake. 

The  village  of  Lancaster,  situate 
upon  the  site  of  the  present  village 
of  Willard,  in  the  town  of  Romu- 
lus, desired  the  location  of  the  coun 
ty  seat,  and  at  a  special  town  meet- 
ing, lield  in  that  town,  June  9th,  1804, 
its  citizens  protested  vigr)rously  against 
this  location  and  the  town  of  Washing- 
ton (Fayette),  in  special  town  meeting 
held  July  7th  in  the  .same  year,  took 
similar  adverse  action. 

It  is  understood  that  the  town  of 
Ulysses,  in  which  the  promising  village 
of  Ithaca  was  located,  was  also  decid- 
edly opposed  to  the  proposed  location 
of  the  county  buildings,  as  were  also 
the  inhabitants  of  Junius. 

The  first  board  of  supervisors  of  the 
new  county,  which  convened  at  Ovid, 
October  3d,  1804,  and  adjourned  to  the 
house  of  John  JMc.Math,  abf)ut  two 
miles  south  of  the  village,  refused,  at 
first,  by  a  tie  vote,  to  appropriate 
moneys  for  erecting  county  buildings, 
the  supervisors  of  Ovid,  Hector  and 
Romulus  voting  in  the  afhrmative,  and 
the  supervisors  of  Junius,  Fayette  and 
Ulysses,  voting  in  the  negative.  Before 
adjournment,  however,  the  sum  of  one 
thousand  dollars  was  api>ropriated, 
leaving  the  question  as  to  location  of 
site  of  the  county  buildings,  open  to 
further  legislation. 

The  legislature  of  1805,  refused  to 
change  the   location,  but  made  it  still 


8 


more  definite  anci  positive,  by  reqair- 
ins  the  bnilditiff  CDinmissioueis  to  lo- 
oatp  the  couotv  buildings,  on  h.>t  No. 
3,  (upon  the  site  of  Ovid  villnge)  the 
site  to  be  located  not  exof^eding  fifty 
rods  west  of  the  three  mile  limit  from 
Seneca  lake,  imposed  in  the  preceding 
year.  From  this,  it  is  evident,  that 
some  measurement  had  been  made  dur- 
ing the  year,  showing  that  the  desired 
site  was  not  quite  three  miles  from 
Seneca  lake.  It  may  be  added  here, 
that  as  early  as  1797,  wheti  the  terri- 
tory of  this  counlv,  still  formed  a  part 
of  Onondaga  county,  the  courts  of  that 
county  were  rnciuired  by  the  legislature 
to  be  held,  at  Manlius,  .\urora  and  at 
the  house  of  Andrew  Dunlap  in  Ovid 
The  Ovid  term  to  be  held  on  thf^  4th 
Tuesday  of  September. 

Hon.  John  Delafield.  in  his  county 
history  says,  that  this  term  of  court 
was  held  at  the  barn  of  Andrew  Dunlap. 
At  the  session  of  the  lugislature  in  1805 
it  was  provided  that  the  court  appoint 
ed  to  be  held  at  the  meeting  house,  al 
ready  relerred  to,  on  the  second  Tues- 
day of  May  1805,  after  convening, 
shall  adjourn  to  the  house  of  John  See- 
ley  on  Lot  3  aforesaid.  Through  the 
courtesy  of  County  C'lerk  Savage,  it 
has  been  ascertained,  that  the  site  for 
county  buildings  at  Ovid,  on  1 -ot  3 
aforesaid,  was  deeded  to  the  supervis- 
ors of  the  county  of  Seneca,  by  John 
Seeley  and  wife,  by  an  absolute  deed 
of  conveyance,  for  a  "consideration  of 
five  dollars,  and  the  advantages  and 
emoluments  arising  from  the  building 
of  a  court  house."  The  site  comprises 
three  acres  of  land,  including  the  pub- 
lic park  in  front  of  the  buildings.  The 
erection  of  the  court  house  and  jail,  was 
begun  in  1806,  and  completed  without 
df'lay,  and  thus  the  machinery  of  the 
new  county  was  fully  set  in  operation, 
Dr.  Silas  Halsey  having  been  appoint- 
ed county  clerk. 

As  indicating  the  influence  of  the 
towns  of  Hector  and  LTlysses  in  the  af- 
fairs of  the  new  county,  it  may  be  men- 
tione<i,  thai  the  first  sheriff  appointed 
in  1804,  was  a  resident  of  Hector,  and 
the  appointee  for  first  judge  of  the 
Court  of  (yommon  Pleas,  was  a  resi- 
dent of  Ulysses,  as  were  also  his  two 
successors,  and  up  to  1815,  this  import- 
ant office  was  held  by  a  resident  of 
Ulysses.      Hon.    Cornelius    Humfrey, 


the  first  appointee  for  judge,  was  also 
elected  supervisor  of  Ulysses  in  1805, 
although  later  a  resident  of  Hector. 
Fivfi  residents  of  Ulysses  also  served 
as  Members  of  A.-^sembly.  during  the 
thirteen  y^ar  period  before  the  erection 
of  Tompkins  county,  and  one  Repre- 
sentative in  Congress,  Dr.  Oliver  C. 
Comstock.  for  four  ye^rs.  For  a  num- 
ber of  years,  the  public  affairs  of  the 
county,  now  seemingly  mo\ed  along 
smoothly  The  town  of  Wolcott,  ad- 
joining LmUp  Ontario,  was  erected  a 
town  in  1S07,  allhnngh  not  fully  or- 
ganized and  represented  in  our  l)oard  of 
stlp^>^vi^ors  until  1810.  In  1812,  that 
town  was  however  annexed  to  Cayuga 
county,  and  remained  in  connection 
with  that  county,  until  1817,  when  it 
was  reannesed  to  S^^neca  county. 

Tlie  town  of  Galen  was  organized  in 
1812,  from  territory  lying  on  the  north 
of  Junius.  The  populatiou  of  the 
s<iuth  towns  increased  most  rapidly, 
aud  the  inhabitants  of  Ulysses  becom- 
ing more  and  more  restive,  sought  the 
erection  of  a  new  county,  with  county 
seat  at  Ithaca. 

F'or  several  years  prior  to  1817,  one 
of  the  Members  of  Assembly  from 
Seneca  county,  had  been  elected  from 
Ulysses,  and  in  the  last  natned  year, 
Hon.  Archer  Gieen  was  one  of  the 
Representatives  from  this  county. 

The  influence  of  Hon.  Simeon  De- 
Witt,  a  resident  of  Ithaca,  and  for  fifty 
years  surveyor  general  of  this  Slate  at 
Alt»auy,  then  in  active  public  life,  had 
been  exerted  for  a  new  county,  with 
county  buildings  at  Ith.ica,  to  secure 
which,  he  and  other  citizens  made  lib- 
eral offers.  Hon.  Elisha  Williams,  a 
propeity  holder  at  W.iterloo,  repre- 
sented Columbia  county  in  the  Assem- 
bly for  several  years,  including  the 
year  1817. 

The  county  of  Seneca  was  in  1817 
represented  in  the  State  Senate  by  Hon. 
John  Knox  of  Wateiloo,  who  favored 
the  new  county,  and  although  Hon. 
Wm.  Thompson  of  Ovid,  whs  a  Mem- 
ber of  Assembly  that  year,  the  combin- 
ed influence  of  Waterloo  and  Ithaca, 
was  too  great  for  him  to  overcome,  and 
on  April  7th,  1817,  the  new  county  of 
Tompkins  was  erected,  which  includ- 
ed the  towns  of  Hector  aud  Ulysses, 
from  Seneca  county.  Not  content  with 
the  annexation  of  these  towns,  the  new 


town  of  Covert  erected  from  Ovid  on 
the  same  day,  exteodiug  from  lake  to 
lake,  was  also  annexed  to  the  new 
county,  leaving  Ovid  only  fonr  miles 
from  the  south  line  of  the  county. 

It  may  be  here  stated,  that  two  years 
afterwards,  by  act  of  April  13th,  1819, 
the  town  of  Covert  was  re-annexed  to 
Seneca  county,  and  Ovid  was  then  lo- 
cated nine  miles  from  the  south  line  of 
the  county. 

The  Act  erecting  Tompkins  county, 
named  Hon.  John  Knox,  and  Reuben 
Swift  of  Waterloo  and  John  Watkins  of 
South  Waterloo,  as  building  commis- 
sioners to  erect  court  house  and  jail  for 
Seneca  county,  on  a  site  at  Waterloo 
to  be  conveyed  to  the  county.  The  act 
required  the  supervisors  to  raise  four 
thousand  dollars  in  aid  of  erecting  the 
new  buildings,  whenever  the  building 
commissioners  certified  that  a  like 
amount  had  been  voluntarily  contribut- 
ed. 

The  site  for  the  county  buildings  was 
as  the  county  clerk  states,  conveyed  by 
absolute  deed  of  conveyance,  on  July 
4th,  1817,  to  the  supervisors  of  Seneca 
county  by  Hon.  Elisha  Williams  of 
Hudson,  N.  Y. ,  and  Reuben  Swift  and 
wife  of  Waterloo,  the  consideration 
named  in  deed,  being  "one  dollar,  and 
the  advantages  arising  from  the  build- 
ing of  a  court  house  at  Waterloo.'' 

The  building  commissioners  reported 
to  the  board  of  supervisors  in  October 
1817,  that  four  thousand  dollars  had 
been  raised  by  voluntary  contributions 
and  requested  alike  appropriation  from 
the  county.  This  request  was  denied, 
as  were  several  motions  to  raise  le.sser 
amounts,  but  finally  before  the  board 
adjourned,  the  sum  of  five  hundred  dol- 
lars was  voted. 

The  buildings  were  erected  in  1818, 
and  in  compliance  with  the  terms  of 
the  act,  Waterloo  became  the  sole  coun- 
ty seat. 

The  village  of  Ovid  and  the  south 
towns  of  the  county,  while  losing  the 
county  seat,  were  undismayed,  perhaps 
little  thinking  that  in  six  years,  Water- 
loo, would  by  the  erection  of  another 
new  county,  be  placed  in  precisely  the 
same  position,  as  that  of  Ovid  in  1817. 
The  legislature  was  again  appealed  to 
for  relief,  and  in  1832,  when  Hon  John 
Maynard,  at  that  time  a  resident  of 
Ovid,    represented    Seneca    county    as 


Member  of  Assembly,  with  Hon.  James 
Dickson  of  Galen,  by  Act  chapter  137 
laws  of  that  year,  the  county  was  di- 
vided into  two  jury  districts,  by  the 
south  line  of  Fayette,  a  division  in  ef- 
fect creating  north  and  south  jury  dis- 
tricts, which  still  exists,  and  requiring 
the  courts  to  be  held  alternately  in  the 
same,  and  also  providing  for  the  use  of 
jails  at  Waterloo  and  Ovid.  The  pas- 
sage of  this  act,  created  substantially 
the  half  shire  system  of  court  houses, 
which  the  creation  of  a  new  county, 
the  following  year,  cemented  more 
strongly.  The  Act  of  1823,  also  pro- 
vided, "that  it  shall  not  be  lawful  for 
the  supervisors  to  sell  the  court  house 
in  Ovid,  or  the  land  on  which  the 
same  stands." 

When  the  construction  of  the  Erie 
canal  was  authorized  in  1817,  it  crossed 
the  town  of  Galen,  in  the  territory  of 
which,  several  important  villages  were 
located.  A  movement  for  a  new  coun- 
ty culminated  in  1823,  when  Hon.  An- 
nanias  Wells  of  Galen  was  one  of  the 
Members  of  Assembly  from  Seneca 
county  and  Hon.  Byram  Green  of 
Sodus,  then  in  Ontario  county,  was  a 
member  of  the  State  Senate.  Bv  Act 
Chapter  138,  Laws  of  1823,  passed 
April  eleventh,  in  that  year,  the  coun- 
ty of  Wayne  was  erected,  and  the 
towns  of  Galen  and  Wolcott  were  an- 
nexed thereto,  the  large  area  of  these 
two  towns  now  forming  six  towns  of 
that  county.  Ovid  and  Wayne  county, 
evidently  joined  forces,  this  time 
against  Waterloo.  The  two  towns  an- 
nexed, embraced  all  of  the  territory  of 
Seneca  county  north  of  Junius  and  left 
Waterloo  village,  only  eight  miles  from 
the  north  boundary  of  the  county. 

Although  efforts  were  made  in  1844 
and  1854  in  the  board  of  supervisors  to 
secure  a  single  set  of  centrally  located 
county  buildings  at  Bearytown,  the 
project  was  lost  in  1854,  by  one  vote 
less  than  the  necessary  two- thirds  vote 
(the  vote  resulting  sis  ayes  and  four 
noes)  and  the  half  shire  system  with 
two  jury  districts  established  in  1833, 
and  perpetuated  in  1823,  still  remains 
in  full  force  and  effect.  The  rptation 
system,  in  nominations  for  county  offi- 
cers, between  the  towns  of  the  two  jury 
districts  long  practised  by  the  two  lead- 
ing political  parties,  has  of  late  years 
not  been  closely  observed.     The  num- 


10 


ber  of  towns  had  now  become  reduced 
to  five,  Ovid,  Romulus,  Fayette,  Junius 
and  Covert,  to  which  Lodi  was  added 
in  1836,  Seneca  Falls,  Waterloo  and 
Tyre  in  1829,  and  Varick  in  1830,  mak- 
ing the  number  ten,  as  now  existing. 
No  change  in  the  towns  has  been  made 
since,  and  no  change  in  town  territory, 
except,  two  slight  changes  in  Ovid 
boundaries  in  the  year  1837  and  1843. 
There  are  now  four  incorporated  vil- 
lages in  the  county,  Waterloo,  Seneca 
Falls,  Ovid  and  Farmer,  the  latter  dat- 
ing from  1904. 

The  area  of  the  couuiy  as  now  re- 
duced, extended  thirty-two  milt-s  north 
and  south  in  length,  and  an  average 
width  of  about  ten  miles  and  conlaius 
199,500  acres  of  land,  the  two  court 
houses  being  situate  tittten  miles  apart 
in  a  direct  line.  In  order  to  complete 
the  statement  relating  to  couuiy  build- 
ings it  may  be  added  here  tliat  the 
Board  of  Supervisors  has  from  time  to 
time,  since  1823,  maintained  and  im- 
proved the  county  buildings  at  Water- 
loo and  Ovid. 

A  proposition  to  rebuild  the  courtj 
house  at  Ovid  failed  iu  1841  and  1843, 
but  was  adopted  by  the  board  in  1844, 
the  contract  was  let  therefor  and  the 
building  completed  upnu  the  lot  where 
the  first  court  house  had  been  located. 
The  county  clerk's  offlje  at  Ovid  was 
authorized  to  be  built  in  1859  and  com- 
pleted by  1861. 

The  erection  of  a  county  clerk's  of- 
fice at  Waterloo  whs  authorized  in 
1858  59,  and  completed  in  1861.  the 
land  therefor  having  been  conveyed  to 
the  County  in  the  latter  year.  The 
building  and  lot  were  ordered  sold  by 
the  Supervisors  in  December,  1900, 
and  the  erection  of  a  new  county  clerk's 
office,  to  include  also  surrogate's  office 
was  provided  fi>r,  adjoining  the  court 
house,  and  which  was  completed  for 
occupancy  early  in  the  year  1902.  The 
present  jail  at  Waterloo  was  authorized 
to  be  built  in  1866  and  completed  the 
next  year. 

It  may  be  of  interest  to  note  the 
several  attempts  since  1817,  to  chunge 
the  court  house  site,  and  boundaries  of 
Seneca  County,  as  well  as  annexation 
schemes.     After  the  erection  of  Tomp- 


kins County  and  during  the  controversy 
between  Waterloo  aud  Ovid  over  the 
county  buikliugs,  already  in  1818,  no 
tii!e  of  applicution  to  the  legislature  of 
1819  was  published,  asking  for  the  an 
nexalion  to  Sene«a  County  of  the  town 
of  SenHca  (including  Geneva)  and  the 
town  of  Phelps,  Outario  County,  with 
l)a!f  shire  court  hous>^s  at  Waterloo  and 
Gf'unva.  This  applictlion  faded.  In 
1829,  several  years  after  thn  erectmn 
of  Wayne  couuty,  an  application  was 
made  to  the  legislature  for  a  new 
county  to  comprise  the  five  north  towns 
of  S'^neca  County  aud  thu  towns  of 
Phelps  aud  Seneca  iu  Ontario  County 
with  half  shire  court  house  at  Water- 
loo aud  Geneva.  This  applicatioQ  also 
fail<;d. 

The  question  of  division  or  annexa- 
tion was  discussed  from  time  to  time, 
but  in  1869,  when  Judge  Charles  J. 
Folger,  of  Genevf!,  hnld  a  seat  in  the 
slate  senate,  it  again  took  such  formid- 
a|^!e  shape  that  a  special  meeting  of  the 
Board  of  Supervisors  of  this  County 
was  held  ou  February  I8th  of  that 
•'year,  at  whiiih  your  honored  townsiuau, 
Hon.  (Jilbert  Wilcoxen  pre-^idod,  and 
strong  resolutions  were  adopted,  re- 
citing: 

'•Whereas,  An  effort  is  being  made 
to  annex  the  towns  of  Seneca  and 
Phelpg  in  the  Couuty  of  Seneca,  to  the 
County  of  Sent'ci,  making  Geneva 
the  county  seat  of  the  piopased 
county,  therefore 

Resolved,  That  in  the  opinion  of  this 
board  such  a  measure  is  inexpedient, 
unvvise  and  uncalled  for  by  any  public 
necessity  of  the  County  of  Seneca,  and 
is,  we  believe,  entirely  opposed  to  the 
wishes  of  a  very  large  majority  of  the 
people  of  this  county.  Oii  oailin^;  the 
ayes  and  nayes  the  preamble  and  reso. 
lutio  1  was  adopted  by  nine  ayes,  one 
nay,  (the  Supervisor  of  Lodl.)  It  was 
further 

Resolved,  That  we  do  earnestly  pro- 
test against  any  change  in  the  bound- 
aries of  Seneca  County,  hs  at  present  or 
ganizfld."  This  resolution  was  sidopted 
by  eight  affirmative  votes,  two  votes 
being  cast  in  the  negative  (the  Super- 
visors    of     Lodi    and    Junius.)     'Ihis 


11 


scheme  again  failed  and  let  us  hope 
that  tlie  seulimeut  of  lidelity  to  this 
county  expressed  iu  this  resojjtioa 
may  loug  cuutiuue  to  prevail  thereiu. 

The  latest  project  for  ciiange  em- 
braced the  aiuiexation  of  tlie  city  of 
Geueva  to  Seueca  County  or  the  an- 
uexaiion  of  IJorder  City  iu  the  towu  of 
Waierloo,  to  Ueueva.  Tlie  Board  of 
Supervisors  of  this  Couuty  at  its  an- 
nufil  sessiou  iu  l'J02,  ou  Doeeuibor  19ih, 
adopted  tiie  fwliowihg  resolution  : 

^*Besolved,  1  hat  a  comniitlee  of  three 
be  appointtjd  ijy  the  chairman  to  act  iu 
thenuatter  regnrdiug  the  anucxatioQ  of 
Geut^va  to  Seneca  Couuty  or  the  au- 
nexaiion  of  Bordt-r  City  to  Geneva  " 
A  committee  was  appointed  to  look 
after  and  oppose  tliis  etian;^e.  This 
scheme,  like  iis  prt-decessors,  was  uu- 
successfnl.  The  Supervisors  in  1908, 
however,  again  appointed  a  committee 
to  guard  the  interests  of  this  County. 

The  population  of  ttie  original  terri- 
tory of  Seneca  County  in  18uO,  h^s 
been  already  stated.  In  1810,  ii  hnd 
increased  to  16,(509,  in  1814  to  21,401. 
Even  after  the  annexation  ot  two  large 
towns  to  Tompkins  eouu'y,  it  ri^ached 
23,619,  in  1820,  and  iu  1825  after  the 
erection  of  Wayne  Coun.y,  and  the 
loss  of  two  more  townn,  leaving  the 
county  area,  as  at  pre^enf,  it  was  20,- 
169.  The  greatest  populatioji  attained 
by  the  county  at  any  time,  was  28,138 
in  1860,  since  which  time  the  popu- 
latiou  of  six  towns  has  deceased,  and 
notwithstanding  the  iucrcHSe  iu  popu- 
Iftliou  of  Seu«ca  Kails  and  Waterloo — 
and  the  ii  crease  since  ttie  opening  of 
Wiliard  St-tte  Hospital  isi  1869,  iu 
Ovid  airl  Romulus — the  population  by 
tbe  e<nus  of  IJOO,  was  28,114 

Based  upon  population,  from  1804 
to  1815  inclusive,  the  couuty  ele(;te<l 
one  Member  of  Assembly  ;  in  18l6  and 
1817,  three  members;  from  1818  to 
1836  inclusive,  two  members;  and  since 
tlie  latter  d'lte,  one  memlier. 

The  tendency  of  p'-piilntiou  to  iatge 
villagps  and  cities,  and  the  falling  ott' 
in  population  of  figricultural  towns  — 
on  account  of  cousolidatiou  of  farms, 
etc.,  causes  which  afti  ct  many  other 
counties  of  the  stite,  sufli  iently  ac- 
couuts  for  the  falling  off  iu  our   popu 


lation,  without  assigning  other  causes. 
Our  county  has  reached  and  passed 
a  number  of  important  periods  or 
epochs,  in  its  process  of  df^velopment, 
from  the  time  of  the  earliest  settle- 
ments made  within  its  borders.  A 
few  of  tliese  will  be  mentioned: 

1.  The  opening  of  the  Bennett- 
Harris  ferry  across  Cayuga  Lake,  and 
the  first  Sta(>e  Road  crossing  thereat, 
1790-1791  followed  by  the  Great  Gen- 
esee road  1796-97,  both  leading  from 
the  eastern  part  of  the  state  to  Geneva, 
and  farther  west,  and  the  incorpor- 
ation of  the  Seneca  Turnpike  Road 
Company,  1800  1801. 

2.  The  opening  of  the  famous  Cay- 
uga BridgH  across  Cayuga  Lake  in 
1800,  and  tilt?  impetus  given  to  travel 
and  the  CHrryiug  of  United  States  mails 
by  the   organization  of  lines  of  stagfs. 

3.  The  iucorporatiou  of  the  Itiiaca 
and  Geneva  Turnpike  Company  in 
ISIO,  and  it^  partial  corapleiiou  for 
travel  and  transportation  of  the  United 
States  mails. 

4  The  improvemiiit  of  the  navi- 
gation of  the  Seneca  nver  and  other 
early  improvements,  by  the  Seneca 
Lock  Navigation  compiny,   1813  1819. 

5.  The  opening  for  tr«ffio  of  the 
Erie  Canal  from  Albany  to  Montezuma 
and  its  completion  iu  1825,  followed 
by  the  Cayuga  and  Seneca  canal  com- 
pleted in  1828  and  the  new  method  of 
travel    by  cnnal  packet  boats. 

6.  The  opening  of  steamboat  travel 
and  traffic  on  Cayuga  lake  (1820)  and 
on  Seneca  lake  (1828). 

7.  The  opening  for  travel  and  busi- 
neis  of  the  Auourn  and  Rochester  rail- 
road acro3s  this  cumty  iu  1841,  mak- 
ing a  continuous  line  of  railroad  to 
Albany. 

8  The  establishment  of  telegraph 
and  telephone  lines  and  of  express 
offices. 

9.  The  completion  of  a  line  of  the 
Geuevrti  Ithaea  &  Sayre  railroad,  (now 
Lehigh  Vulley)  across  this  county  in 
1873,  and  of  a  second  line  in  1892, 
with  a  blanch  to  Seneci  Falls  iu  1898. 

10.  The  development  of  manu- 
factories iu  the  vill.ige'S  of  Seneca 
Falls,  Waterloo,  Farmer  Village  and 
other  villages  of  the  county. 


12 


11.  Improved  methods  of  farming 
and  introduction  of  improved  machin- 
ery connected  therewith. 

12.  The  opening  of  an  electric  line 
of  railway  across  the  county  to  Cayuga 
Lake  Park  with  promise  of  fiinher  ex- 
tension. 

Time  will  not  permit  an  extended 
notice  of  public  schools  and  teachers, 
or  of  educational  progress  in  this 
county. 

When  the  first  general  act  for  the 
encouragement  of  public  schools  was 
passed  in  1795,  there  were  very  few 
schools  withiu  our  boundaries,  and 
these  were  privately  supported.  Under 
the  act,  a  number  of  schools  were 
established  bnt  it  was  not  until  after 
the  passage  of  an  act  by  the  state  leg- 
jalature  in  1812  for  the  organization 
and  establishment  of  common  schools, 
that  school  districts  w«re  systemati 
cally  organized  and  established. 

The  state,  at  an  early  date,  mad^i 
snvall  appropriations  for  public  schools 
and  these  were  aided  in  the  towns  of 
the  military  tract,  by  income  from  the 
gospel  and  school  lot. 

An  application  to  the  state  school 
deptrtment  for  information  as  to 
schools  in  this  county  as  early  as  1804, 
elicited  the  response  that  the  depirt- 
ment  has  no  record  of  beneca  County 
school  districts  prior  to  1838. 

Spafford's  Gazetteer  of  the  state  of 
New  York,  published  in  1813,  men 
tions  thirty  three  school  houses  in  the 
towns  of  Ovid,  Romulus  and  Fayette, 
by  the  census  of  1810,  but  gives  no 
data  HS  to  the  other  towns,  and  it  is 
safe  to  give  the  number  at  that  time, 
as  fifty.  This  was  the  era  of  leg 
school  houses,  followed  by  the  ^'little 
red  school  house,"  and  within  the  past 
sixty  years,  by  commodious  and  well 
adapted  struciures  Jn  1838,  there 
were  in  the  bounds  of  the  present 
county,  116  school  districts,  which 
number  has  become  reduced  by  the 
consolidation  of  districts,  and  the  for- 
mation of  several  Uoioo  High  schools, 
to  ninety-two  school  districts   in  1903. 

Academies  were  established  and  in- 
corporated at  Ovid  in  1830,  at  Seneca 
Falls  in  1837  and  at  Waterloo  in  1842. 
All  of  these  academic  institutions   are 


now  continued  as  Union  High  schools, 
and  in  addition,  a  high  sohuul  has  been 
e.^tablished  at  the  village  of  Farmer. 

The  Seneca  Falls  Union  High  s'ibool 
is  still  known  as  Mynderse  Acadi'my, 
in  honor  of  its  early  patron.  Col. 
Wilhelmus  Mynderse. 

In  1853,  the  State  Agricultural  Col- 
lege was  incorporated  and  located  up- 
on the  farm  of  Hon  John  Delafield  in 
Fayette,  who  was  chosen  its  president. 
After  his  death,  it  was  removed  to  Ovid, 
a  college  building  was  erected,  and 
opened  in  i860,  under  the  presidency 
of  Gen.  Marsena  R.  Fntrick,  who  re- 
tired therefrom  to  enter  service  in  the 
Civil  War. 

This  college  was  subsequently  re- 
moved to  Havana,  Schuyler  county, 
and  afterwards  to  Ithnca,  where  hav- 
ing received  the  college  land  griat 
from  the  United  States,  it  is  now  lo- 
cated as  a  Department  of  Cornell  Uni- 
versity The  only  consolation  for 
th4  diver/sion  of  this  institutiou  from 
Seneca  county  is,  that  it  is  now  lo- 
cated in  the  original  territory  of  Sen- 
eca County,  and  that  the  president 
of  its  Agricultural  department,  who 
long  served  in  that  c  ipncity,  was  born 
in  the  present  county. 

The  history  of  the  State  AgricultuVal 
College  and  Willaid  St^ite  H')apilal,>tits 
successir,  will  be  sepai-ately  writj^en 
and  presented  to  your  society,  by»ne 
thoroughly  conver.sant  therewith. 

The  learned  professions  have  been 
represented  in  this  c'unty  by  mnny 
prominent  men. 

At  the  time  of  the  organizition  of 
the  county,  as  far  as  can  be  ascertained 
there  were  only  five  organized  religious 
congregations  in  the  bounds  of  the 
present  county,  all  at  the  south  end, 
and  two  or  three  in  Ulysses  and 
Hector,  With  a  single  exception  (the 
church  on  lot  thirty,  Ovid  in  which 
the  first  courts  were  held)  it  is  be- 
lieved that  these  congregations  then 
worshipped  in  private  houses,  barns 
or  school  house:^,  and  'priojitive  log 
churches  followed  latfr,  in  some  cases 
Some  of  these  coogregntions  were 
without  regular  pastor.'^,  and  the  first 
clergymen  of  the  county,  were  those 
who  oflB.ciated  therein.     Of   these   con 


13 


gregafiona  one  in  the  towu  of  Romulus, 
oelelirated  its  CHnleuuinl  in  1895,  ooe 
in  L'di  in  1900,  one  in  Varick,  (at 
Romnlu^i  villngt-)  in  1902,  and  one 
each  in  Oyiii  «nd  Covert,  in  1903. 
During  the  next  few  years,  onfi  con- 
greg'Ui>)n  in  each  of  the  towns  of  Fay-, 
ette.  Seneea  Falls.  Junins  auil  Tyre, 
wilt  attain  one  hundred  years  of  fige. 

iVIauy  of  the  clerjiyuinu  of  this 
county,  have  euj  'yed  long  pai»torates. 
one  at  Beftrytown  for  an  active  period 
of  sixty  years,  one  at  VVattTioo  for 
thirty  sftven  years,  one  at  Romulus 
villai{e  f  r  twenty  seven  year.-»,  one  at 
Ovid  for  twenty  six  years,  one  at 
Seneca  Falls  for  tWHnty-one  y-ars,  be- 
sidt  s  six  or  seven  others,  for  periods 
of  from  fifteen  to  twir-nty  years. 

At  the  present  time,  the  pastor  of  the 
Baptist  church  at  Magee'a  Corners,  in 
the  town  of  Tyre  (who  is  present  with 
us  to  nitrhl)  is  serving  his  fortif-th 
year  in  active  ministry  in  th«  town  in 
which  he  was  horn  of  patriotic  Revo- 
lutionary ancestry. 

There  are  at  present  forty-nine 
church  edifices  open  for  religious  ser- 
vici^s  in  the  county,  besides  sevf^ral 
chapfls  (sev'^ral  rural  churches  having 
been  closed)  with  forty  pastors  These 
churches  ami  chapels  had  by  the  last 
pub'ished  cfn^us,  a  seaMag  capacity  for 
20,850  persons.  It  is  Uy  no  means  a 
mat  er  of  which  to  be  proud,  but  the 
truth  of  history  compels  ihe  stnte-nent, 
thnt  the  Mormon  (Church  (called  also 
the  church  of  Latter  D  ly  Saints)  was 
fiist  orjranizcd  in  ih«  town  of  Fayette, 
by  Josepli  S'.riith  and  five  others,  on 
April  6,   1830. 

At  the  time  of  the  organization  of 
Seneca  County,  March  24,  1804,  so  far 
as  hss  been  asc^Ttaincd,  there  wts  not 
a  lawyer  residing  in  the  bounds  of 
the  present  County,  if  indeed  there 
were  any  »«eh  in  the  whole  County  as 
then  existing.  Many  of  the  practising 
lawyers,  from  time  to  time,  have  taken 
a  prominent  «nd  distinguished  position 
at  the  Bar  or  on  the  Bnnch.  The  l«st 
ocurt  calendar  issued  bv  the  County 
Ch  rk,  contains  a  roll  of  forty  re-ideut 
attorneys  at  law.  The  -'Judiciary  of 
Seneca  County"  is  to  be  specially 
written  up  by   one  who  will    do   full 


justice  to  the  subject. 

The  medical  profession  has  from  the 
beginning  bt-en  well  represented.  In 
the  early  history  of  the  County,  Dr. 
Silas  Halsey  served  as  member  of  as- 
semOly,  the  tiist  county  clerk,  re|)re- 
sentative  in  Congress  and  in  many 
other  public  capacitie.s. 

Dr.  Jared  Sand  ford  served  as  the 
fir:^t  surrogate  and  treasurer  of  the 
County;  Dr.  Oiver  C-  Comstock  as 
judge,  member  of  assembly  and  repre- 
yentative  in  Congres-i.  Many  other 
physicians  have  held  Dromiuent  public 
posilioue  and  have  eujoyi-d  a  high 
sianding  in  iheir  profession. 

Dr.  Alexander  Coventry,  who  loc^v^ 
(S^^^da  with  hi-i  family  in  Payette  in 
1792,  and  afterwards  removed  to 
Oneida  County,  w.ss  twice  elected 
president  of  the  State  Medical  So<.-Jety, 
and  Dr.  Heory  D  Didami,  a  former 
resident  of  Romulus  village,  1846  to 
1851,  now  residing  at  Syracuse  and 
serving  a^  Dean  of  the  Medical  depart- 
ment of  Syracuse  University,  at  an  ad- 
vanced age,  was  honored  with  an  elec- 
tion   to  the  same  position 

Since  the  ope  dug  of  Willard  State 
Hospital  for  the  insane,  in  1869,  the 
Medicil  Society  of  the  (/ounty  has 
been  re  inforced  by  a  uumlier  of  promi- 
nent physicians,  whose  labors  in  be- 
half ot  the  unfortunates  in  their  charga 
have  been  productive  of  much  good. 
The  history  of  tnis  institution,  one  of 
the  largest  of  its  class  in  this  state, 
shows  an  honorable  and  worthy  record 
thoughout.  It,  has  at  the  present  time, 
two  thousand  two  hundred  and  twenty - 
five  (2,225)  patients. 

The  Editorial  professiion,  the  fourth 
estate,  has  been  well  susiaiued  since 
the  first  newspaper  was  established  at 
Ovid  in  1815  At  the  present  time  six 
newspapers  are  published  in  the 
County,  two  at  Seneca  Falls,  two  at 
Waterloo  and  one  each  at  Ovid  and 
the  village  of  Farmer.  Th-i  news- 
papers of  Seneca  County  have  taken 
a  deservedly  high  position  in  this  s'at.e. 
One  of  the  present  eilitors  has  edited 
his  newspaper  in  Seneca  Falls  for  lorty- 
hve  years,  and  stv- ral  others  for  more 
than  an  average  period  of  editorial  ser- 
vice.    Several  of  the  editors  have  been 


14 


chosen  to  the  highest  positions  in 
State  Editorinl  Associations,  of  which 
they  are  honored  njeml)ers. 

It  has  been  said  by  a  prominent 
statesman  that  ••The  cultivation  of  the 
soil  is  the  foundation  of  all  puljlu 
prosperity."  Farming  has  for  many 
years  been  a  leading  pursuit  in  ihe 
County  which  has  taken  a  high  rank 
among  the  agricultural  counties  of  mis 
state. 

The  temp'rature  of  this  county  is 
favorably  induenced  by  the  waters  of 
the  adjacent  lakes,  which  also  exert  a 
a  genial  influence  upon  the  soil  and  its 
cultivation. 

The  aboriginal  owners  of  the  soil, 
recognized  its  fertility,  even  by  the 
most  primitive  meUtods  of  cultivation. 

Upon  four  occasions,  the  state  prem- 
iums for  the  best  farm  in  the  state, 
has  been  awarded  to  farmers  in  this 
count}',  and  on  two  occasions,  the  Presi- 
dency of  the  State  Agricultural  So- 
ciety, has  been  given  to  farmers  of 
Fayette.  The  distinguished  honor  con- 
ferred upon  the  county,  when  the  first 
State  Agricultural  Collfge  was  located 
therein,  has  been  already  mentioned. 

Sixty  years  ago,  wheat  was  the  prin- 
cipal product.  It  18  said  that  at  one 
time  in  the  decade  between  the  years 
1840  and  1860,  tlie  seven  or  eight 
fli.uring  mills  of  Seneca  Fails,  in 
amount  and  value  of  manufactured 
products,  ranked  next  in  ord'-r  to  the 
fl  lUring  mills  of  Oswego  and  Rochester. 

It  is  to  be  regretted  that  farming  has 
of  late  yenrs  been  unremunerative, 
and  that  grape  culture  and  fruit  rais- 
ing as  adjuncts  to  fnrming  have  had 
much  to  contend  with  from  severe 
winters,  unfavorable  seasons  and  in- 
sect enemies,  so  that  farming  lauds 
have  greatly  depreciated  in  value. 

The  Patrons  of  Husbandry  (or  the 
Farmf-re  Grange)  have  done  much  in 
the  past  thiny  years,  to  elevate  the 
standard  of  farming  and  to  improve 
the  condition  of  farmers  and  their 
families,  as  have  also  Farmers'  Insti- 
tutes held  under  the  supervision  of  the 
State  Commissioner  of  Agriculture 

In  the  early  history  of  the  county, 
its  manufactured  products  and  indus- 
tries, were  of  the  most  primitive  kinds. 


These  included  the  manufacture  of 
potash,  charcoal  and  maple  sugar. 

When  the  three  flouring  mills  at 
South  Waterloo,  Ix)di  and  Seneca 
Falls  were  complt^ted,  tluir  respective 
proprietors,  Samuel  Bear,  Dr.  Silas 
Haieey  and  Col.  VVilheluuis  Mynderse, 
were  deemed  the  most  public  spirited, 
as  well  as  popular  men,  in  their  several 
localities. 

By  far  the  most  extensive  system  of 
manufacture,  however,  was  that  con- 
ducted in  each  well  regulated  family, 
in  which  lineu  and  woolen  fabrics, 
known  as  "home  spun"  were  mnde 
for  family  use,  by  aid  of  spinning 
wheels  and  looms.  The  stale  census 
of  1810,  reports  the  whole  number  of 
looms  in  families  of  this  ciiuuty,  iu 
that  year  as  601  producing  fifty  thous- 
and yards  of  woolen  c'otb,  and  158,- 
000  yards  of  lin«n  cloth.  This  manu- 
facture  also  gave  employment  to  seven 
fulling  mills  and  ten  carding  machines. 
The  census  makes  mention  also  of 
fifteen  tanneries  iu  the  county  in  that 
year 

In  later  years  manufactures,  espec- 
ially those  located  upon  the  abundant 
water  power  of  the  Seneca  river,  have 
greatly  prospered  and  have  taken  a 
high  position.  In  order  to  do  them 
justice  and  note  their  advancement 
from  step  to  step,  would  require  more 
time,  than  that  allotted  to  lue. 

The  traveller  in  othei  states  and  iu 
foreign  lands  frequently  sees  the  steam 
fire  engine,  and  the  various  kinds  of 
pumps  and  machinery,  with  other  arti- 
cles of  manufacture  fiom  Seneca 
Falls,  while  the  fabrics  produced  by 
the  Woolen  Mills  of  Seneca  Falls  and 
Waterloo,  have  a  world  wide  reput- 
ation, and  the  musical  instruments  and 
vehicles  manufactured  at  Waterloo, 
also  th*^  manufactures  of  Farmer,  and 
other  villages  of  the  county,  are  well 
and  favorably  known,  wherever  iutro- 
duoed. 

There  is  room  for  greater  develop- 
ment and  expansion  in  manufacture  in 
our  midst,  to  inure  to  the  advantai^e 
not  only  of  the  manufacturer,  but  in- 
deed to  every  one,  for  when  the  manu- 
facturer and  the  farmer  are  prosp'  rous 
every   other     pursuit     and    occupation 


15 


is  benefitted  thereby. 

I'he  discover^  and  njanutHcture  of 
salt,  at  acd  mar  the  head  ot  botb 
Seutca  and  Ca'yujja  Lnkes,  in  adjoining 
counties  recHlls  th«  tact,  that  before 
the  sellleiueut  of  ibis  locality  by  white 
mt-n.  salt  was  found  by  tlie  In<lians, 
in  this  county  on  the  west  side  of  Cay- 
uga Lake,  near  its  foot,  and  iu  the 
town  of  Galen.  It  is  believed  that  salt, 
will  ill  liiue  also  be  found  along  the 
shores  of  Sk'ueca  and  Cayuga  Lakes,  in 
the  towns  of  Lodi,  Ovi(t  and  Covt^rt, 
and  thus  add  to  the  value  of  our  luana- 
factures. 

The  County  records  show  that  as 
early  as  February  12.  18U5,  a  public 
library  was  organized  iu  Ovid,  kiiowu 
as  Ovid  Union  library,  and  in  the  same 
year  Seneca  Library  nu'uber  one.  lo- 
cated at  Lincaster,  in  the  town  of 
Romulus,  was  organized.  B  th  of 
thf-se  l!i)raries  lave  long  since  ceased 
to  exist 

I'lie  Waterloo  Lil)rary  and  Historical 
Society  was  organized  in  1875-76,  and 
its  lil)rary  building  (omplcied  iu  1883. 
On  September,  o,  1879,  the  ceulennial 
of  General  John  Sullivan's  Indian  Ex- 
pedition was  successfully  celebrated  at 
Waterloo  under  its  auspices,  as  was 
also  the  dedication  of  a  monument  to 
Red  Jacket  near  Cauoga,  October  15. 
1891.  It  has  at  present  7,441  volumes 
in  its  Library. 

The  Seneca  Falls  library  was  incor- 
porated in  1892,  and  has  already  4,198 
volumes,  al though  it  has  no  pernianeut 
library  building  as  yet. 

The  Seneca  Falls  Historical  Society, 
separately  organized  about  nine  years 
ago,  and  incorporated  1904.  has  from 
the  beginning  devoted  much  attention 
to  historical  inquiry  and  research.  It 
includesin  its  membership  not  only 
persona  engaged  in  the  learned  pro- 
fessions but  also  business  men  in  the 
several  pursuits  of  life,  and  some  of 
its  most  zealous  and  enthusiastic 
workers  are  ladies.  In  1903.  this  so 
ciety  gave  uun^h  attention  to  the  com 
uiemoration  of  the  centennial  of  the 
town  of  Junius.  The  present  com- 
memoration of  the  centennial  of  the 
official  organiz'ition  of  Seneca  County 
has  engaged  the  attention  of  the  society 


for  some  time,  and  the  collection  and 
preservation  of  material  connected 
therewith,  will  continue  even  after  this 
meeting. 

The  VVhiltier  librarv  of  Lodi,  or 
ganized  in  August,  1898,  has  six  hun- 
dred volumes  in  its  library,  and  at  the 
last  town  election  the  people  of  the 
town  voted  to  extend  fluancta!  aid  in 
its  behnlt. 

The  Ovid  library  was  organized 
December  21,  1899,  and  has  already 
seven  hundred    volumes  in  its    library. 

A  public  library  was  als'i  organized 
at  Fanner,  Novead>er  8.  1901.  as  the 
Farmer  Free  Library,  and  op -ned  to 
the  public  July  22,  1905.  which  has 
six  hundred  and  ten  volumes  on  its 
shelves. 

In  the  year  1838,  the  legislature  of 
this  slate  inaugurated  a  system  of 
school  district  libraries.  Many  of  the 
school  districts  accumulated  several 
hundred  volumes,  and  although  some 
mistakes  were  made  in  selecting  the 
same,  many  useful  books  were  thus 
circulated  in  every  neighborhood.  In 
titne  the  State  reduced  its  appropria- 
tions for  these  libraries  and  school  dis. 
tricts,  diverted  the  saine  for  other  pur- 
poses, and  books  were  lost  also  by  lo. 
eating  libraries  iu  school  houses  in  some 
cases.  The  decline  of  the  school  dis- 
trict library  is  to  be  deeply  regretted, 
and  a  re-establishment  of  the  same, 
under  suitable  safeguirds,  would  re- 
sult in  great  advantage  to  every 
neighborhood. 

In  the  treatment  of  our  subiect,  we 
must  occasionally  present  the  dark  as 
well  as  the  bright  side. 

This  County  has  its  share  of  pauper- 
ism and  crime  and  it  cannot  he  denied 
that  with  increase  of  population  there 
has  been  considerable  increase  in  both, 
as  well  as  in  the  expense  of  adminis- 
tration. 

In  the  early  years  appropriations  for 
the  support  of  the  poor  were  fre- 
quently voted  at  town  meetings.  The 
County^  poor  house  was  opened  for 
reception  of  poor  persons  in  the  year 
1830,  a  farm  having  been  purchased 
therefor  bv  the  county  in  that  year,  on 
the  line  of  Fayette  and  Seneca  Falls. 
The   present  poor   house  building,  lo- 


16 


cated  in  Fayette,  was  erected  in  1853, 
and  with  inteiUMl  clinngHS,  additions 
and  iraproveiuent--^  is  still  in  nse.  The 
uuoabu'  of  permanent  paupers  tlierein 
has  iii't  p,refitly  inciensed  since  the 
removal  of  tise  insane  therefrom,  but 
the  number  of  teinpurary  inmntes  hns 
increased  coiisidt  rhhly  m  leceut  years, 
froui  the  class  kiiovvn  as  pauper 
trari.ps.  The  copt  of  the  poor  adminis- 
tration in  the  several  towns  has  been 
greatly  int^reased,  iinwever,  of  Ja'e,  by 
a  somewhat  liiiernl  bestuwment  of  tem- 
porary aid  or  out  d"or  relief 

The  passaire  ofl  avFS  by  the  state 
legislature,  forhiddinp;  the  keeping  of 
children  over  two  years  of  ajre  in  the 
poor  house,  and  the  removal  of  all  in- 
sane paupers  therefroDj  to  State  hoepi 
fals  for  the  insane,  were  meweures 
which  have  commended  themselves  to 
all  humanely  disposed  persons. 

Already  in  the  year  1803,  the  first 
murder  was  committed  within  the 
territory  of  the  p'-e.'-ent  County,  then  a 
pan  of  Cayuga  County,  when  Indian 
John,  otherwise  known  as  Delaware 
John,  mui'dered  Ezfkiel  Crane,  a 
pioneer  settler  in  the  bounds  of  the 
present  town  of  Tyre  In  an  historical 
paper  on  the  "Early  Records  of  Cay- 
uiia  County."  read  before  the  Cayuga 
County  Historical  Society,  by  Georye 
W.Benhani,  Esq  .  county  cleik.  a  for- 
mer resident  ^f  Seneca  Falls,  he  makes 
mention  of  the  indictment  and  trial  of 
th^^murderer.  'I'he  indictment  found 
by  he  Grand  Jury  of  Cayuga  County 
is  in  the  following  words:  "That  Jnhn, 
ft  Delaware  Indian,  not  having  the  fear 
of  God  before  his  eyes,  bnt  being 
nioved  and  seduced  by  the  instigation 
of  the  devil,  on  the  12th  day  of  Decem. 
ber,  1803,  with  a  certain  rifle  gun,  of 
the  value  of  fifteen  dollars,  then  and 
there  loaded  and  charged  with  gun 
powder  ftnd  one  leaden  bullet,  did  in- 
flict a  mortal  wound  of  the  depth  of 
six  inches,  upon  the  person  of  Ezek;el 
Orane,  of  which  wound  said  Eztkjel 
Crane  died  on  the  seventeenth  day  of 
December,  1803." 

Notwithstanding  the  organization  of 
Seneca  County,  in  March,  1804,  the 
County  of  Cayuga  retained  jurisdiction 
in  this  case,  and   Delaw  are   John   was 


tried  at  a  court  of  Oyer  and  Terminer, 
held  June  27,  1804,  at  the  academy  in 
the  vUlage  of  Aurora,  by  and  befure 
Honorable  Ambr  >se  Speueer,  one  of  the 
judges  of  the  Supreme  Court  Judi- 
cature, presiding,  and  upou  his  own 
confes'^ion  of  guilt,  the  murderer  was 
adjudged  gail'y  and  sentenced  to  be 
bung,  which  sentence  was  carried  into 
effect. 

The  County  History  of  1876,  mentions 
the  murder  of  a  man  in  this  county, 
i;omruitled  by  one  Andrews,  for  which 
he  was  tried,  convicted,  senleucod  and 
executed  at  Ovid,  in  the  period,  1810  to 
1812.  D'ligent  iriquiry  to  ascertain 
more  detiniie  data  in  relation  to  this 
case,  failed  to  elicit  additional  informa- 
tion. 

In  later  vears,  George  Chapman,  on 
July  20,  1828,  murdered  Diuiel  Wright 
in  (he  town  of  Waterloo,  tte  was  tried 
and  convicted  at  a  term  of  cour>  held  at 
Waterloo,  was  sentenced  and  publicly 
bung  there,  Mav  28,  1829. 

The  last  execution  fcr  murder  in 
this  C'ounty  w?is  tha*  of  Charhs  John- 
son, who.  upon  trial  and  conviction  of 
the  niuid'-r  of  John  Walters,  at  the 
village  <if  Wat-  rloo,  was  sentenced  and 
hung  at  !he  jnil  in  that  village,  No- 
vember 15*h,  1888. 

There  being  two  j'lils  in  this  couniy 
the  same  are  never  crowded  with 
prisoners.  There  has  t>eeu  no  marked 
increase  in  the  higher  grades  cf  crime, 
although  with  increase  in  population 
the  number  of  convictions  for  minor 
offenses,  punishable  by  sentence  to  jail, 
has  increased,  ptincipally  from  vagrant 
tramps,  as  also  the  uuaiber  of  peni- 
ten'iary  cases. 

In  the  paimy  days  of  the  local 
militia,  tliis  county  had  several  militia 
regiments,  and  a  nundjer  of  inde- 
y>endent  militarj'  companies  The 
military  forces  of  the  county,  bore  a 
prominent  part  in  the  War  of  1812. 
and  were  also  repve-»ented  in  the  Mex- 
ican War  In  the  Civil  War  (1861- 
1865(,  the  several  towns  were  repre- 
sented in  the  vo'unteer  service  and 
several  residents  of  the  County,  arose 
to  hiizh  rank  in  the  military  service. 
The  County  was  a'so  represented  by 
a  few  volunteers,  in  the  late   war   with 


17 


Spain. 

There  are  now  no  military  organiz- 
ntioiis  ill  this  County,  Hnd  the  days  of 
"Genernl  Training"  fornjerly  so  ini- 
nortant  an  event,  in  early  years,  ocnr 
po  more. 

It  is  a  matter  for  regnt,  that  the 
"Town  Meetinji"  occuriog  as  an  annual 
event  in  each  town,  every  sprino;  and 
which  enabled  our  fathers  to  meet 
together  and  consider  and  perfect  many 
measures  thereat,  for  the  local  well- 
being,  has  in  the  past  three  years  been 
consolidated  with  the  general  election 
and  is  now  held  biennially  in  Ihn  fall. 
Already,  it  is  manifest,  that  town  busi 
ness  has  been  greatly  lost  sight  of,  by 
this  change,  which  has  not  been  a 
beneficial  one,  and  let  us  hope,  for  a 
return  of  the  good  old-fashioned  Town 
Meeting,  which  was  so  greatly  enj'iyed 
in  former  years. 

The  Hi'^tory  of  Seneca  County, 
edited  by  Hon.  John  Delafield.  and 
published  in  1850,  and  the  County 
History  published  at  Philadelphia  in 
1876,  are  indeed  interesting  and  valu- 
able publications,  but  the  data  thereof, 
should  now  be  extended  and  brought 
down  to  the  present  time. 

The  history  of  the  towns  of  Romulus 
and  Varick,  of  the  south  towns,  and 
of  the  town  of  Fayette,  and  the  old 
town  of  Junius,  (now  comprising  the 
four  north  towns)  have  also  been 
partly  written.  Historical  sketches  of 
the  villages  of  Waterloo  and  Seneca 
Falls  have  also  been  recently  pub- 
lished. To  complete  the  stories  of  the 
towns,  that  of  the  original  military 
township  of  Ovid,  now  comprising  the 
town  of  that  name,  with  Covert  and 
Lodi,  remain  to  be  written,  and  it 
rests  with  citizens  of  those  towns,  to 
undertake  this  good  work. 

Had  time  and  space  permitted,  m^ny 
other  subjects  might  have  been  referred 
to,  or  considered  at  lenj^th,  among 
which  may  be  mentioned,  the  Pre- 
emption line ;  the  Military  Tract  and 
Indian  Ileservations;  the  visit  and 
reception  of  General  La  Fayette  in 
this  County,  June  8,  1825 ;  Negro 
Slavery  in   thts  County ;    early    Town 


Meetings  and  elections;  the  Public  Men 
of  the  County ;  The  Woman's  Rights 
Movement ;  roads,  bridges  and  ferries  ; 
early  births,  marriagt-s  and  deaths ; 
early  village.".,  ceuieteries,  taverns, 
stores  and  shnpst;  early  teachers  and 
schools;  and  many  other  suhjects, 
which  must  be  h^ft  for  the  consideration 
of  our  Historical  societies,  and  local 
historians  in  the  several  towns. 

So  too,  no  time  is  left  for  suitable 
mention  and  consideration  of  the  vast 
progress  made,  in  the  century  which 
the  history  of  our  County  covers,  the 
advancenn'nts  made  by  the  tflorts  and 
labors  ot  the  sturdy  pioneer  settlers, 
the  great  improvements  produced  by 
the  power  of  steam  and  electricity  ;  the 
developments  made  in  manufactures, 
arts  and  sciences,  and  in  short  every 
department  of  life  and  business  activity. 

'<A  Century  with  all  its  hopes  and  fears, 

Has  sank  into  the  deep  abyss  cf  time  ; 

And  on  the  thresihold  of   the    new,  we 

stand. 

Like     travellers   to     a  strange    and 

distant  clime." 

During  the  century  past,  three  aver- 
as:e  generations  of  men  have  passed 
away  • 

The  transformation  from  1804  to 
1904.  has  been  wrought  with  great 
labor  and  toil.  L^t  us  not  forget  the 
woi'k  of  our  fathers,  now  that  we  en- 
joy the  coaiforts  of  life  brought  about 
by  their  exertions,  with  the  advantages 
aUained  by  education,  religion,  society, 
refinenient  and  progress. 

While  we  must  not  be  unmindful  of 
the  past,  let  us  enter  upon  the  second 
century  of  our  County,  with  the  trust 
and  confidence  in  the  Divine  Being, 
th'it  He  vvill  direct  the  events  of  the 
future,  as  mercifully  as  He  has  done 
in    the  past. 

i  thank  you  for  your  kind  attention, 
and  will  not  forget  my  acknowledge- 
ments to  several  state  an«l  county 
ofli<!ials  and  citizens,  who  assisted  me, 
in  collecting  material  presented  for 
your  consideration  and  in  closinj;  extend 
my  very  best  wishes  for  the  future  of 
your  Historical  Society. 


The  Early  Reformed  Church. 


By  Rev.  E.  B.  \/an  Ai-scJale-. 


At  the  very  outset,  I  must  ncknowl- 
edge  oiy  iudebttidness  for  ail  Ibe  facts 
this  paper  coiUaiiis  tu  others  wlio  have 
gone  so  thorouglily  and  cuefully  over 
the  gioiuid  1  nni  to  cover  as  to  u)fike 
origiual  research  ou  my  part  absolutely 
unnecessary.  VVithiu  the  last  decade, 
four  churches  iu  Seuccn  County  luive 
celebrated  their  centennials  with  puljiic 
exercises,  aud  ably  qu'ililied  hi^-t-'rinns 
have  gleaned  from  dusty  records  and 
local  traditions,  brouj^ht  to  light,  and 
told  in  interesting  form,  the  story  of 
the  early  struggles  and  endeavors  of 
the  religious  life  of  our  county.  I  am 
only  to  repeat  here,  in  as  concise  a 
manner  as  possible,  what  h:is  alreaiiy 
been  told  iu  otlier  places. 

1  am  restricted  by  the  subject  as 
signed  me  to  the  Early  Reformed 
Church.  1  must  confess  that,  when 
asked  to  present  it,  1  was  at  a  loss  to 
understand  why  this  particular  tienora- 
iuation  should  have  been  selected  for 
special  attention  upon  this  honorable 
occasion.  It  forms  so  small  a  part  of 
the  religious  forces  of  the  county  The 
three  l>utch  Reformed  C'hurches  sit- 
uated  at  Lodi,  Farmer  and  Tyre,  and 
the  Germau  Reformed  Church  at 
Bearytowu  are  all  the  Reformed 
churches  iu  our  bounds.  However, 
historically  considered,  they  are  of  in- 
terest and  importance  to  us  at  this 
time. 

Before  I  enter  upon  my  special 
theme,  1  may  be  allowed  some  general 
notice  of  the  early  religious  life  of  our 
county,  since  mine  is  the  only  paper 
that  bears  upon  that  subject.  With  the 
possible  exception  of  traders  with  the 
Indians,  the  first  white  men  to  enter 
this  immediate  section  before  the  Amer- 
ican Kevolutiou  were  Bishop  John 
Frederic  Christopher  Cammerliotf  and 
Rev.  David  Zeisberger,  missionaries  of 
the  Moravian  Church  to  the  Indians. 
They   made  a    tour  from    Wyoming, 


Pennsylvania,  in  the  summer  of  1750, 
crossing  frou)  the  ea>'tein  shore  of 
Cayuga  Lake,  just  above  the  present 
villnge  of  Union  Sprmgs,  traversing 
thr)  intervening  foresis  to  the  out!et  of 
Si^ineca  L°ik'^,  and  thenee  to  tiie  Gen- 
esee River,  returning  as  they  had  come 
PuHsiiily,  before  thtir  visit,  J-^suit 
niissiennries  had  ministered  to  the  In- 
dians l>ctwet'n  these  lakes,  as  they  did 
to  the  East,  but  no  record  of  such  ser- 
vice has  been  fo-ind.  In  1765-66,  Rev. 
Samuel  Kirkland  locsted  for  a  lime  as 
a  uiissionary  to  the  Seneca  Indians,  a 
little  distance  west  of  the  present  city 
of  Geneva,  and  iu  the  course  of  his 
work,  visited  the  eastern  shores  of 
Seneca  Lake,  where,  on  one  occasion, 
he  nearly  lost  his  life  at  the  hands  of  a 
hostile  rcdpkin.  But  these  v^ere  all 
labors  among  the  Aborigines,  and,  of 
course,  have  no  bearing  upon  the  de- 
velopment of  the  county. 

Actual  settliMuent  by  wiiites  diil  not 
begi'i  until  the  close  of  the  Revolution. 
I  suppose  I  ought  to  spare  you  the  in- 
troduction of  a  name  so  fatiiiliar  to  you 
all.  Job  kMuith,  I  sui-^pect  lias  been 
afflicted  with  a  gnat  deal  of  posthum- 
ous iniport.aucc  at  the  hands  of  your 
Historical  Society,  merely  beciuise  he 
was  venturesome  enough  to  be  the 
hrst  settltr  in  the  county,  here,  at  Sen- 
eca Falls,  in  1787.  He  did  not  stay 
long.  But  his  early  departure  in  1793 
has  not  saved  him  from  fame.  The 
i&rst pGrmaiic7d  settlers  who  entered  the 
county  from  the  soutli  by  way  of  Sulli- 
van's trail,  were  mostly  adherents  of 
tlie  Refortned  Chiu'ches  of  Pennyylvania 
and  New  Jersey.  Many  of  them  were 
veferan.s  of  that  army  whose  man^h 
through  the  reid'Jus  bad  revealed  the 
rich  fertility  of  its  soil  and  the  charm 
ing  beauty  of  its  landsi-ape.  They 
came  with  their  families  and  belong- 
ings iu  f,;reat  four-horse,  canvas-topped 
wagons,    cutting    their   way     through 


19 


dense  forests,  and  building  brush  roads 
over  the  swamps.  LaUr,  there  wns  an 
iinui'gration  into  tlie  north  end  of  th(! 
ciiU'.t:,  hirgniy  from  New  England, 
by  tilt'  wnter  wayn  of  the  iMtihawk,  Oh- 
Wfgo  jind  Seneca  River,  and  the  lakes. 
At  the  t)ej/iiuiii)g  of  tht:  Ihst  decrtde  of 
the  eighteenth  Ceniury,  there  were 
proliuhiy  not  more  than  mh  z^n  families 
between  these  lakes,  Si-atleied  from  the 
sontiivvest  corner  of  the  present  town 
of  Lodi  to  Seneca  Falls.  For  the  most 
pjut,  they  were  ntea  who  combiut'd 
with  their  sturdine^j*  and  industry  and 
indepi  iidunce,  a  firm  fni  h  in  God  and 
His  I'rovidence.  Tliey  l)rouj!:hl  tiieir 
religinn  with  iheui  into  this  vircjin 
wihlerness,  and  kept  the  light  of  faith 
burning  upon  the  altars  of  their  rude 
log  C'tbins. 

Between  1790  and  1800,  the  settlers 
came  in  much  more  r«pidly,  and  uiis- 
siouarif'S  from  oilier  regions  were  sent 
out  to  look  after  their  .spiriUial  inter- 
ests, aud  to  l?iy  the  foundations  for 
church  expansion.  Gradually,  the 
growing  population  was  gathered  iuto 
groups  of  worshippers,  nnd  chnrehes 
began  to  be  o»gnuized  here  and  there, 
so  that  by  the  tim'^  of  the  formation  of 
the  pr^-seui.  County  of  Sfneea,  in  1804, 
there  were  wittiin  its  bounds  five  or 
ganized  cliurehfS.  Tliree  of  these 
were  of  the  Presb\  teriMn  order,  and 
two  of  them  B'iptist  soeieties. 

7'lie  first  church  organized  in  Ihe 
county  wjis  the  First  Bnp'ist  of  Koran 
Ins  at  Kendfiin,  eonstituted  in  June, 
1795,  wi'h  seven  meuiiiers.  It  was 
natural  thfd  this  denominntion  should 
feel  drawn  at  an  early  date  to  this 
well  watered  (iountry.  Tlie  ('overt 
Baptist  chutch  was  formed  in  Febru- 
ary, 1803.  with  twenty  eight  mem- 
bers. The  u«mes  of  Jede;!iah  (Jhnp- 
man  and  John  Lindsli-y  are  priininent 
among  the  pioneer  miidhters  of  Wes- 
tern New  York,  the  f(»rnier  loi  a-ed  at 
Geneva  nnd  fornn  d  the  Presb\b'rian 
church  of  thatplnce  in  1800.  The  laiter 
orij;.nnizeil  a  Presbyterian  chureh  witliin 
the  bounds  of  the  pre-*'  nt  town  of  Lodi, 
in  the  same  year,  which  was  the  second 
church  soci(ty  in  the  eounfy.  He  he- 
came  its  pastor  and  eonsequ(  ntly  was 
the  first  oidained   clergyman    to  settle 


in  a  regular  charge  in  our  county. 
Preshyteriftn  churches  were  also  es- 
tablished  (>y  Chapman  at  Romulus  in 
April,  1802,  and  in  the  present  village 
of  Ovid,  July,  1803.  (He  also  founded 
tite  I'restiyieriau  church  of  iSeneca 
Falls  in  1807.)  These  five  were  the 
church  ore^aniz'itions  already  effected 
in  the  couniy  at  the  time  of  its  formal 
e.-itabli?^hmeut — a  constellation  of  re- 
hj^ions  centers  for  the  fostering  and 
promoting  of  the  finest  sentiments  of 
our  civilization  in  the  early  dawn  of 
our  history  Itineraries  of  the  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  church  also  traversed 
this  territory  in  those  early  days, 
preaching  at  Seneca  Falls  as  early  as 
1797  at  probal)ly  tlie  first  ndigious  ser- 
vice held  in  that  town.  The  Seneca 
Circuit  gresv  out  of  this  work,  formed 
in  1801,  aud  extending  from  the  Clyde 
River  to  the  (Jheinung  with  Seneca 
Falls  as  one  of  the  ajiiiointments  for 
regular  visiting  by  the  ministers. 
There  seems,  moreover,  to  have  been 
a  union  organization  etleeted  by  Chap- 
man in  the  vicinity  of  Lodi  village  in 
1803,  composed  partly  of  those  dis- 
atlected  from  the  Lindsley  church. 

This  last  organization  is  of  interest 
to  us  because  it  erected  the  first  house 
of  worship  in  the  county.  It  was  con- 
structed of  hewn  logs  and  ntood  upon 
a  plot  of  ground  j^iveu  by  .Judge  Silas 
Halsey,  across  ihf!  ro.'id  from  the  grist 
mill  he  had  built  (also  the  first  in  the 
county)  southwest  from  Lodi  village, 
then  known  as  DeMotl's  corners.  This 
house  was  built  just  one  hundred  years 
ago  so  it  was  prol)ftbly  the  only  church 
building  in  the  county  at  Itie  time  of 
its  forma'ion.  The  church  founded  by 
Rev.  Lindsley  likely  erected  a  build- 
ing soon  after  this,  it  may  be  in  the 
same  year.  I'he  early  services  of  our 
fathers  were  liehl  in  homes,  barns  and 
schoolhou.ses.  and  someiimes  in  those 
great  temples  of  nature,  the  vast 
ai.-led  forests  The  appoi  ntments  of 
worship  were  necessarily  very  crude. 
One  hns  described  the  meeting  in  a 
barn  ,  the  eongreofntion  sitlint;  upon 
upturned  pnils,  boards  and  chunks  of 
wood,  soMie  standing,  the  preacher 
upon  a  sleigh  for  a  platform  with  an 
inverted  box  for  a  desk.     Aud   even   in 


20 


the  ehnrcbes  there  was  little  comfort, 
scarcely  more  than  a  shelter  from  the 
elements,  the  only  heat  from  foot 
stoves,  rough,  high  bnckcd  seats  tor 
the  worshipper's  comfort.  Even  the 
women  atten<le(l  church  barefooted. 
But  amid  all  the  hardships  and  dis 
comforts  people  attended  updu  the 
means  of  grace  with  zest  and  relish, 
walking  long  miles,  perhaps  driven 
partly,  hy  a  aesire  for  neij>hborly  in- 
terch'inge  of  news,  but  surely,  too,  b)' 
a  high  appreciation  of  the  things  of 
God — solace  and  stay  for  that  rough 
life  they  livtd.  Sometimes  these  early 
places  of  worship  were,  to  use  the 
Irishman's  phrase,  "Fiib  d  to  the  brim 
inside  and  out" — and  hundreds,  unable 
to  get  room  within,  gathered  ariund 
the  church  and  listened  to  the  preacher's 
voice  coming  through  the  open  doors 
and  windows. 

We  must  now  turn  for  a  few 
moments  to  the  spfcinl  subjtct  of  our 
paper — The  Early  Reformed  Church 
A  few  worda  of  explanation  in  regard 
to  the  Reformed  Church  will  not  be 
amiss.  It  is  the  term  applied  to  that 
division  of  ProtestHntisu*  that  had  its 
rise  in  Switzerland  in  1516,  under  the 
leadership  of  Zwingli.  It  was  con- 
temporary  with  but  disiiuct  from  the 
Lutheran  movement.  It  soon  gained  a 
foothold  in  the  German  centers  of 
Switzurlaod  and  in  the  PalHtinat^^,  in 
Holland  and  in  France.  The  Reformed 
church  in  America  is  the  descendant  of 
the  Reforni'ition  in  Holland.  The  Re- 
formed Church  in  the  United  States,  to 
which  the  church  at  Bearvtown  belongs, 
is  descended  from  the  Gr-rman  church. 
The  Reformed  tvpe  of  Christian  doc- 
trine is  Caivinistic,  as  taught  by  the 
Heidelberg  catechism,  in  close  agree- 
ment with  the  Westminister  confession 
of  the  Presbyterian  church  to  which  it 
is  closely  allied,  also  in  form  of 
government — the  form  which  is  most 
in  accord  with  our  Republican  institu- 
tions. Indeed,  later  scholars  contend 
that  Holland  more  than  any  other 
country  has  furnished  the  principles 
upon  which  ouD,natural  institutions  are 
founded.  (J^^cm* 

The    Protestant   faith    was    held    in 
Holland  at  the  greatest  sacrifice.     They 


long  defied  Philip  II.  and  his  minious 
backed  as  they  were,  by  the  whole 
military  and  ecclesiasticjil  resources  of 
Spain,  tlien  the  greatest  p<^wer  in  the 
world.  So  calamiiouy  vv-ih  its  condi- 
tion during  the  eighty  jefirs  war  that 
the  Reformed  Church  c<dl<d  itself 
''The  Church  under  the  Cross. 
Finally,  its  indomitable  pluck  and 
persistence  wore  out  the  spirit  of  its 
foe.  It  then  became  tli»'  asylum  of  all 
the  persecuted  of  otij*  r  laud.s.  The 
Pilgrims  from  England  Siiujiit  refuge 
there  before  bravine:  the  dangers  of  the 
sea  and  the  perils  of  the  inhospitable 
shores  of  New  England.  The  Hugue- 
nots, driven  from  France,  found 
safety  and  liberty  in  Holland  and 
identified  themselves  with  the  Dutch 
Reformed  church 

Our  great  commouw  alth  of  New 
York  is  chisely  related  to  this  brave 
people,  as  they  were  its  first  colonists. 
In  160i),  Hendrick  Hudson,  in  the  em 
ploy  uf  the  Dutch  West  India  (yOin- 
pany,  entered  New  Yoik  bay  and 
sailed  up  the  North  River.  In  1614  a 
trading  Dost  was  established  on  Man- 
hattan I-^land  and  cur  great  metropolis 
was  born.  In  1623  a  permanent  agri- 
cultural sett'emeut  was  made  and  in 
1628  a  church  w«s  organized  which 
has  had  a  continuous  existence  to  this 
day  and  is  with  reason  supposed  to  be 
the  oldest  Protestant  church  on  this 
eoiitinent.  Other  churehes  of  Hol- 
lasidi-rs  and  Huguenots  were  established 
along  the  Hudson  and  Mohawk  and  in 
New  Jersey  and  Pennsylvania.  The 
German  branch  of  the  Reformed  church 
entered  later  and  was  built  up  princip- 
ally in  Pennsylvania.  Now  this  coun- 
tfsj  was  settled  largely  by  the  children 
cf  this  German,  Huguenot  and  Dutch 
ancestry,  coming  from  New  Jersey  and 
Pennsylvania.  They  are  staunch  ad- 
herents of  the  faitn  of  their  fathers. 
We  have  referred  to  the  church  founded 
by  Rev.  Jdin  Lindsley  iu  1800.  It 
was  organized  as  the  First  Presby- 
terian Church  of  Ovid,  and  was  the 
first  society  iu  the  town  of  Ovid,  then 
compii-sing  also  the  towns  of  Lodi  and 
Covert.  A  large  element  in  its  mem- 
bership were  of  Reformed  lineage. 
And  it  was  not  strange   that,    in   1809, 


21 


after  four  years  of  occasional  missionary 
uiiiijistraiioiis  during  the  vacancy  of  the 
pulpit,  its  jiHiliHiiitii  WHS  irfUHfiUTt'd  to 
the  clashes  ot  MoiitiiOiiK-ry  of  the  Re- 
foinud  Church  and  the  Rev.  Abr^iham 
BroKavv  became  its  sellltd  pnstDr. 
Uutlor  Ills  guidance  it  prospered  grenily 
and  its  meoibership  grew  to  over  two 
hundred. 

Everyihing  went  well  until  1822, 
when  the  church  was  rent  by  that 
secession  movement  from  the  Re- 
formed (jliuicli  that  r3«iulted  in  the 
foraiing  of  the  True  llefonued  Cimnh. 
The  pastor,  a  mNJority  of  the  <  tticers 
and  but  a  miniTity  of  the  coiigieiratinn 
joined  the  secessioo.  Litigation  over 
the  property  followed  until  the  value 
of  it  was  eaten  up  by  legal  cos's.  But 
the  title  was  awHided  to  that  larger 
part  of  the  congregation  that  held  to 
the  old  ecclesiastical  name  and  rela- 
tions. 

Beine  in  need  of  a  church  home,  it 
WJts  d*'ci<>td  to  buil^in  the  village  of 
Lodi,  upou  the  feite  where  the  present 
(difice  stands.  It  was  at  this  time 
that  the  congregMtiou  of  the  old  log 
church,  of  which  we  have  spoken, 
aided  in  the  erec  tiou  of  a  new  housn  of 
woiship  and  shart-d  its  privdegns.  It 
was  afterwards  merged  into  ttie  Lodi 
Reformed  Church 

Ii  was  about  this  time,  also,  that  the 
pastor  of  the  L'xii  church  btgau  to  till 
a  reguhir  appointment  at  Ffirmerville. 
The  old  church  had  been  situHted  on 
the  road,  one  mile  north  of  the  high- 
way b^^tween  Lodi  and  Farmer,  and 
ab"Ut  halfway  between  the  two  lo- 
calities, 80  that  the  inhabitants  of  the 
vicinity  nfiturally  drawn  to  that  church 
could  r»adiiy  «ttend.  After  the  re- 
moval to  Lodi,  it  became  necessary  for 
the  preacher  to  bring  his  message  to 
thtiui  in  their  own  village.  This  event- 
ually resulted  in  the  organization  of 
another  Reformed  Church  in  Faruier, 
in  November  1830,  which,  with  the 
Baptist  Church  of  the  same  village, 
orgair'zf'd  ten  years  earlier  from  the 
mother  church  at  Cnvert  has  beeu  the 
center  cf  christian  influence  and  power 
for  good  in  that  C(  mmnnity. 

The  church  that  was  organized  as 
the  True  Dutch  Church  by   those    who 


seceeded  from  the  old  mother  church 
in  ]822  erected  a  house  of  worship 
about  one-half  mile  east  of  the  old 
edifice.  Dumine  BroKaw  continued  his 
ministry  there  uuiil  1838,  when  he  was 
BucceedHd  by  Rev.  Arcliihald  RlcNiel 
until  1865.  he  was  ttie  last  pastor, 
and  the  church  he  had  served  so  long 
and  fadhfully  t)ecame  known  locally 
as  the  McNiel  Church.  The  society 
flnady  disl>anded,  and  the  building  was 
taken  down  ahout  1876.  Nothing 
now  remains  to  mark  the  site  of  either 
of  thnne  two  Old  churches  exci^pt  the 
little  grave  \ard  in  the  vicinity  which 
is  now  seldom  used. 

It  may  be  well  to  insert  a  few  iJems 
of  historical  interested  closely  con- 
nected with  the  life  of  this  early  Re- 
formed Church  iif  the  old  town  of  Ovid, 
in  the  present  town  of  Lodi.  The  first 
settler  in  what  is  now  the  town  of 
Lodi  was  George  Fansett,  who  locaied 
directly  upon  Sullivan's  trail.  He  be- 
came a  member  of  this  church,  and 
hi.s  daughter  v/as  the  fir^t  child  born  in 
the  town,  probably  in  the  county 
Silas  Halsey,  another  early  arrival  in 
this  section,  and  staunch  friend  and 
supporter  of  this  church,  built  the 
first  grist  mill  in  the  county,  gave  the 
plot  of  ground  for  the  first  church 
edifice  and  for  a  cemetery,  and  served 
88  the  fiiSt  county  clerk.  The  first 
public  religious  services  known  to  have 
been  held  in  this  county  were  held  in 
1794  at  the  house  of  Abraham  Covert, 
in  the  town  of  Oeid.  He  was  a  Jersey- 
man  and  a  faithful  son  of  the  Reformed 
Church. 

There  is  an  interesting  incident  re- 
lated in  connection  with  the  marriage 
of  his  son.  ''It  was  the  fir.-«t  marriatre 
which  took  place  in  the  to>79n.  It  oc- 
curred in  1793,  was  a  triple  marriage. 
The  parties  were  Abraham  A.  Covert 
and  Catherine  Covert,  Joseph  Wilson 
and  Anna  Wyckofl\  Enoch  Covert  and 
Jane  Stewart  They  were  oblijred  to 
cross  Seneca  Lake  to  find  a  justice  au- 
thorized to  perform  the  ceremony  " 

A  little  later  than  their  Dutch  cousins 
from  New  Jersey  settled  in  Ovid, 
Germans  from  Penuj^ylvania,  with  a 
few  from  the  fatherland,  began  mak- 
ing homes  for  themselves   in   the  town 


22 


of  Fa3'eite.  They  brought  with  iheiu 
the  sauie  love  for  the  iielorujcd  frdlli 
of  iheir  fathers  nial  their  same  respeci 
for  educaliuii,  and  enrly  hiiilt  Uui 
church  aud  sehoui.  I'be  first  cJeigy- 
mau  to  (settle  lu  llie  towu  of  i^.nj^tte 
W!ts  the  liev.  Anlhouy  HorUy'  of  tlie 
GeraiHii  lieforuitd  Clunch,  vvlio  tuok 
up  his  vesidiriu'e  lliert.  just  oue  hnndrt-d 
jeartj  aj^o,  1804.  B-fure  his  coiuiujj, 
this  comuiuuiLy,  wilh  others  in  tlie 
cuuiity,  had  eiijnytd  oecasioiial  prench- 
iug  seivices  iu  scliool  i>uiidiiigs,  b>iriis 
aiid  private  houses.  For  several  years 
after  bis  eouuujj;  he  served  the  people 
iu  thb  eiipacity  of  pastor,  preaehiug  iu 
the  (jreruiau  lauguage,  iu  the  Biirgn 
school  houst)  aud  ai  the  resideuce  nf 
Heury  Singer  at  Beftrytovrn.  Piuaiiy, 
ou  beceu.ber  26,  1809,  ilie  l:r-.t  at- 
tempt at  formal  ehuich  or><auizatiou 
was  made  at  a  uie*tiug  of  Gi  rmau  lif- 
foxuitd  aud  Lutherau  re.^sideats  at  tlie 
Burgh  school  house.  This  is  the  origni 
of  the  'jldtst  existiug  ehurch  org(<itizH- 
liou  in  the  tuwu  of  F.'iyelte.  Steps 
were  euon  tali  en  to  provide  for  a  suit- 
able house  of  worship  to  be  used  tiy 
bulb  denouiiuHiioiis,  aud  proimbly  e;irlj' 
ill  1813  the  Ituiidiug  was  dedicaled. 
It  vpas  a  log  structure  22  by  28  teet, 
buitt  upou  the  site  of  ilie  present  stone 
edifice  of  tlie  Christ  Reformed  Con- 
gregation at  B«  arytuwn.  Rev. 
Hon&littd  a  preachiug  station  also  at 
WesP  Fayette,  fmm  which  Jerusa'em 
Church  was  formed  iu  the  summer  of 
1811.  (It  appears  also  from  denomi 
national  records  that  tlie  town  of  Friy. 
efte  was  visited  ft»r  a  period  of  years, 
1817  to  1825,  by  misnictnaries  seut  c>ut 
by  the  Dutch  Reformed  Ciiunh,  l)ut  no 
permaueut  church  orgnuizatiou  resulted 
from  their  labors  )  No  sketch  of  this 
Reformed  Churcti  iu  Fnyette  would  l)e 
complete  without  allusion  to  one  of  its 
pastorates,  remarkable  as  the  longest 
in  the  auuals  of  the  count}^  and  seldom 
surpassed  iu  the  recojd  of  any  churiMi. 
I  refer  to  the  ministry  of  Rev.  Diedricih 
Willers.  D.  D.,  who  for  a  period  of 
nearly  sixty  one  years,  from  1821  to 
1882,  served  this  church.  His  work 
was  larjjely  that  of  a  pioneer  pastor. 
Beside  his  duties  to  his  own  people  he 
served   also   at   difterent    times  at  six 


other  places  iu  the  county  aud  at  seven 
or  eiglJt  other  points  in  Tompkins,  Cay- 
uga, VVa;yne,  l^ivingston  and  Ningara 
couiiiies,  pirformin^j;  a  large  portion 
of  the  travel,  iucident  to  so  exteuded  a 
field  of  iaiior,  on  horsaback,  iu  the 
early  years  of  his  ministry.  The  power 
of  the  ehurish  iu  any  community  is 
largely  commensurate  wilh  the  personal 
fokce  of  its  representatives,  that  is,  its 
numbers,  above  all  its  ministry.  The 
influence  of  one  such  sturdy,  inde- 
fatigable, devout  leader  in  a  eoni- 
mui.Jty  for  so  long  a  period  is  simply 
inestimable  and  far  surpast-es,  in  the 
depth  of  th«^  impression  it  makes,  the 
strongest  influence  of  shorter  pas- 
toiates  however  brilliant  or  impressive. 
The  impress  of  that  one  character, 
uohie  and  faithful,  identified  so  closely 
with  all  that  the  church  stands  for,  so 
con.spicuously  before  the  e^es  of  men, 
puts  a  st^Hup  upon  the  life  within  its 
radius  that  eudures  for  g'euerations. 
Aud  the  church  that  furnishes  such  a 
center  of  religious  life  is  an  estimable 
factor  in  the  development  of  a  town's 
life  aud  gives  it  strong  claiujs  upou  the 
respect  aud  gratitude  of  tbe  piuple. 

The  only  other  Reformed  Church 
in  the  county  besides  these  three  I  have 
mentioned,  is  that  at  T^re,  which  was 
orjiauized  in  1835,  as  the  result  of  a 
union  with  a  Presbyterian  Church 
formed  in  the  vicinity  a  few  years  be- 
fore. The  date  of  i's  fonnntiou  is  too 
late  to  include  it  among  the  e«rly 
churches  to  which  my  paper  is  limited. 

This  resume  of  the  churches  of  this 
order  reveals  the  fact  that,  although 
they  have  not  become  nummerous 
within  our  territory,  they  have  been 
infliieutifd  in  thf*  life  of  the  county 
from  the  beginning  of  its  history,  inti- 
mately associated  as  they  were  with 
the  first  thiui?;s  of  its  life,  but  also  of 
our  st*ite  and  county. 

In  the  time  allotted  for  this  paper, 
it  has  been  impos-^ible  to  do  more  than 
toucb  upon  tlie  beginning  of  the  church 
life  of  our  county,  although  one  is 
strongly  templed  to  go  more  into  de- 
tail,  and  digress  into  paths  thit  would 
lead  u«i  among  the  daily  surroundings 
of  our  fathers,  aud  to  show  them  in 
their    hardships    and     their   triumphs 


23 

which  their  sturdy  relig'ioue  faith  sin-  ing  them  to  brin^  their  faith  and  zefll 
ewcd  ihcin  to  bear.  It  is  only  by  a  to  this  vir<^iii  v.'ild<-inesfl  of  forest  and 
lew  finishes  of  lij^tit  upon  the  scnun  mor.'iss  as  tlieir  fathers  had  broucfht 
Ih^t  1  have  atteuaptid  to  help  you  ent^^r  th^m  to  tliese  untried  nhores,  80  ni'iy 
by  ima^-inalion  into  ihcir  e  uly  ating-  it  abide  in  us.  the  source  of  that  in- 
gles, ihefe  men  and  wouk  n  of  inde-  telli<.;;i'nt  and  virtuous  mnnhood  which 
faiigable  labor,  undaunted  courage,  must  ever  be  ihe  bed  roek  of  perman- 
and  nndoubiint;,  failli,  laid  the  found-  ency  for  our  American  insHtutions. 
at'or:'  of  our  pvesent  luxurious  and  Hand  in  hand  wit  in  the  school  that  pro- 
comfi'riabh^  livint,^  of  our  hopeful  out-  m"tes  the  intelligence  which  a  free 
look  on  thi!  fu'ure,  an<i  of  our  trii.sling  people  alway.s  need  for  ?eif-p,overn- 
upl.iok  find  ui'rf'ach  for  things  of  the  ment,  and  with  the  court  which  m?<in- 
spirit  that  make  for  riirh'eonsneas,  love  tains  and  adtninisters  laws  of  equ'ty 
and  iieaee.  As  the  s[)irit  of  the  Eng  ami  j'.isiice,  innst.  go  the  church  which 
Iish  Puritan,  and  tlm  Scotch  Couven  fosters  that  regard  for  virtue  and  right, 
enter,  nnd  the  French  flugcnot,  and  and  that  faith  t'lat  purififs  and  enpo'des 
III*' , sturdy  Dutchman,  and  his  phlcg-  tlie  life  whi(di  us(»3  the  unexeelhid 
nuitic  German  brother  lived  in  the  privtdeges  our  civiliza'Ion  puts  into  our 
early  settlers  of   this   county,    prouipt-  hands. 


Preservation  of   Private  and   Public 

Records. 


By  Dr.  William  Austin  Macy. 


We  must  assume  that  the  preser- 
vaUon  of  privfite  and  publio  records  is 
of  ituporUtnci'  to  th\->  imiividual  and  to 
the  slate.  If  we  do  not,  then  wh?t 
have  we  for  the  histoiiau  to  bti^e  his 
account  of  the  tiicesi  in  which  we  live, 
and  too,  without  a  bis'ory.  is  not  a 
people  without  the  incentive  to  right 
Jiving  and  thinking  in  many  ways.  If 
we  live  without  recording  what  will 
point  out  the  differences  between  us 
and  those  who  have  gone  before  or 
those  who  come  after,  are  we  not  then 
living  to  a  great  extent  as  the  trees 
live,  and  who  shall  tell  the  tale  when 
time  rolls  around. 

From  the  earliest  times  we  have  yet 
to  look  for  a  people  who  did  not  in 
some  way  seek  to  preserve  their  own 
histories,  not  only  trilial  but  the^  per- 
sonal histories  of  the  families  which 
made  up  the  aggregation  of  people. 
For  only  do  we  find  by  tradition  and 
written  history  that  private  and  public 
histories  of  men  and  their  times  have 
been  handed  down,  but  all  along  the 
way,  as  far  bsck  as  we  can  go,  we  find 
examples  of  the  greatest  and  best  of 
pei^ple  encouraging  us  to  kef^p  our  bis 
tories,  and  in  modern  times  the  great- 
est of  our  citizens  have  encouraged 
those  around  them  to  emulate  the  p:ist 
and  do  better  in  this  respect. 

In  a  country  where  the  elementary 
population  has  changed  to  the  extent 
that  ours  has,  and  where  even  greator 
changes  are  likely  to  take  place  in  the 
fuUire,  it  would  seem  that  if  we  would 
have  the  posterity  of  a  few  generations 
know  anything  at  all  about  their  for- 
bears more  attention  than  has  often 
exerted  would  have  to  used,  or  they 
would  be  a  nameless  race  among  those 
who  would  have  a  history. 
Possibly  the  best  use  for  the  preser- 


vation of  family  history  or  genealogy, 
is  to  serve  to  stimulate  those  who  come 
after  to  right  hvin;^  and  to  vie  with 
thost^  who  iiave  gone  betore  in  living 
so  that  clean  records  and  liverj  of  much 
u.^efu!neBS  to  their  lellowmen,  may  be 
the  records  that  wdl  be  written.  Let 
a  man  have  ever  so  iiuii^h  of  this 
world's  goods  and  jet  how  much  of  it 
CHu  be  r<  ally  ust-d  for  his  actual  necea- 
silies?  If  our  American  people  are  al- 
ways too  interested  in  the  making  of 
money  only,  what  of  the  responsibilities 
of  the  use  of  what  is  It^ft  behind  by 
those  who  have  acquired? 

What  have  we  to  say  of  the  rational 
incentive  to  get  ahead  in  the  world  in 
thfi  average  individual?  No  matter 
how  ambitious  the  individual  may  be, 
together  with  whatever  he  d"es  or 
succee<is  to,  runs  the  responsibility  of 
the  individual  in  the  many  other  di- 
rections of  life.  If  he  shakes  them  off 
he  is  only  one-sided  and  he  lives  the 
most  selfiah  and  soidid  life.  He  lives 
only  to  himself,  losing  in  this  the  very 
best  that  would  othtn'wise  come  to  him. 
That  we  make  comparisons  then,  a 
history  is  necessary,  and  it  is  of  use  to 
preserve  for  the  future  a  record  of  kin- 
ship and  ancestry,  that  it  may  be  help- 
ful in  these  ways  and  aiany  more  which 
I  will  not  take  the  time  to  point  out 
now. 

When  we  stop  to  ascertain  what  has 
been  done  in  preserving  private  and 
public  records  we  are  at  once  struck 
with  the  fact  thnt  today  there  is  ten 
times  and  more  the  interest  in  these 
matters  than  there  was  only  a  few 
years  ago.  That  this  is  due  in  large 
part  to  the  formation  of  our  various 
patriotic  and  colonial  societies  is  prob- 
ably true,  but  this  has  been  helpful  in 
two  ways.      It   has   stimulated   actual 


25 


putriotism    and     helped  to    make  our 
men  and  wotnon  better  citizens  because 
they  have  had  a  greater  pride  in    thfiir 
country.     It  has    also    caused    them    to 
study  in  more    detail    what  has  helped 
to  make  the  greatness  of  this  our  coun- 
try and  to  glory  mure    than    they    ever 
thought  of  doing  in  the  good   deeds    of 
their  ancestors.     All   this   has   immed- 
iately required  that  if   they   knew  who 
their  forbears  were,  that  their    records 
should  be  preserved  and    those   of    us 
who  have  taken  interest  in  these  matters 
from    a    love    of     history,    etc.,    have 
watched     with      much      pleasure     this 
growth  of  interest  in  these  directions. 
The  tendency  formerly  was  to    give 
too  little  care  to  any   records   or  docu- 
meiits  when  (hey    were   once    through 
with  for  the  time  being,  and  we  tind  in 
making  our  inquiries  into  these  matters 
that  any  kind  of  a  place  is  usually  pro- 
vided for  all  kinds    of  public   and    pri- 
vate records  until  the  public  conscience 
is  awakened  and  they  learn  how    easily 
these  things  disappear  and    are    lost   to 
the  future.     Often  have  we  found    and 
are  to  find    that    even    in   the   case   of 
county  and  other  very  important  records 
including  court  records,  that  at  such    a 
time  all  were  burnt   up,    find    the  col- 
lection of    years    consumed    in    snioke 
I  I'eraember   reading   a   letter   from   a 
corrfspondent  in  the  Island  of  Jamaica, 
that    at    a    certain    time    when     their 
Island    was   under     martial     law.    the 
Governor  ordered    many    loads    of    the 
rarest  papers    relating   to    the    Island's 
history  to  be  turned  into  the  Rio  Cobre, 
one  of  their  principal   rivers,   with    the 
words.  <'Away  with  the  accursed  past.'' 
Yet  the  memory  of  the  past   is   one   of 
those  things  which  encourages  us    most 
to  trust  to  the  consolations    of    religion 
and  live  so  that  the  review    at   the   end 
of  life  will  be  to  our  credit  rather  than 
the  reverse. 

Little  by  little  we  are  gathering  up 
and  caring  for  our  historic  relics.  All 
over  the  counti-y  historical  societies  are 
doing  good  work  and  wo  are  only  doing 
in  this  country  that  which  is  being  done 
tne  world  over.  In  Massachusetts,  an 
enabling  act  has  been  had  which  assists 
them  in  gradually  getting  the  vital 
statistics  of  all   their   towns   placed   in 


print  and  preserved,  and  these  are  be- 
ing issued  to  such  subscribers,  includ- 
ing public  libraries,  etc  at  the  nominal 
sum  of  a  cent  a  page,  including  bind- 
ing. A  move  is  bemg  made  to  get  the 
other  New  England  States  to  do  the 
same  thing  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  that 
all  of  our  own  early  records  will  one 
day  be  placed  in  print,  so  that  those 
studying  the  early  colonial  history, 
will  have  less  difficulty  in  getting  actual 
facts  on  which  to  build. 

In  the   matter   of  collecting   family 
history  the  society  to  do  the    most   and 
best  work  is  the  New  York   Genealog- 
ical and  Biographical  Society,  of   New 
York  State.     This  society  has  its  head- 
quarters at  New  York   City,    where    it 
has  its  own  fire-proof  building  and  fire- 
proof vaults,   and  it  has    supplemented 
the  work  done  by  the  New    York    His- 
torical Society  atid  the  other  hi-itorical 
societies  of  the  state    by    collecting  as 
much  of  strictly  family  history   as   has 
been  possible.     I  have  had   the   honor 
for  a  few  years  past  to    represent   this 
Society  iu  Seneca  County  as  a  member 
of  their    Rosearch   Committee,    and    it 
was  one  of  the  purposes  of  my  attend- 
ance at    your  anniversary    meeting   to 
say  to  your  members  how  much  our  so- 
ciety is  interested  in  all  historical  work, 
particularly     in   the     preservation     of 
family    histories,    and    how    glad   they 
would    be   through    myself    to   receive 
such     historical    notes    of   any    of   the 
families  of    this    district    as    might    be 
prepared    and    submitted     for   preser- 
vation.    I  have  had    some    very    inter- 
esting notes  given  me  of  this  kind   and 
I  am  promised  more   and   I    would    at 
all  times  be  glad  to    act    in    bringing 
any  work  of  this   kind    before  our   So- 
ciety and  in  seeing  that  it  is    preserved 
for  the  future  use  of  the    many    others 
who  would    thus  acquire  a   larger   op- 
portunity   for    consulting     what     they 
would  naturally  look  to  such    a   repos- 
itory of  such   information    and  expect 
to  tind  more  easily,  as    it    accumulates, 
than  in  the  hands  of  private  individuals 
where  it  is  more    likely    to   be  lost    or 
destroyed.       I     would    then  ask    that 
those  who  would  desire  to  save  family 
genealogies  as  may  have  been  compiled, 
family  bible  records  which  in  time  dis- 


26 


appear,  and  other  historical  information 
wljich  i8  worthy  of  being  perpetuated, 
should  send  me  neatly  mnde  copies  tor 
the  purpose  of  thfir  being  deposited 
with  the  cenlrjd  society  and  will  as.-iist 
in  any  way  possible  such  as  aie  desir 
ons  of  s! acting  inforuiation.  if  they  will 
be  good  enou::h  in  writing  to  enclose 
return  postaj^e  thai  the  burden  may 
not  be  too  much  one  way. 

In  listening  to  the  uinny  interesting 
particulars  of  the  Hon.  Mr.  Willers' 
most  interesting  paper,  and  in  consider 
ing  the  work  you  are  attempting  to  do 
in  Seneca  County,  I  am  strucii  with  the 
fact  that  there  does  not  seem  to  be  any 
vtry  general  move  to  collect  from  all 
sources  systematic^ally,  but  only  from 
your  one  town.  Considering  that  you 
have  a  sister  society  in  Waterloo,  I 
think  it  is  a  pity  thnt  a  move  cannot 
be  made  to  form  a  general  county  so- 
ciety, whose  membership  should  ex- 
tend to  ail  who  might  be  interested  in 
your  work,  including  the  descendants 
of  former  residents  of  Seneca  County 
Such  societies  do  a  much  larger  woik, 
and  by  charging  a  nominal  fee  which 
all  would  feel  tlicy  could  aliord,  it  is 
possible  to  collect  from  so  large  a 
number  if  any  proper  interest  is  de- 
veloped, that  a  good  publication  fund 
can  be  established  and  sou)ething 
really  well  gotten  up  can  be  presented 
each  year  to  the  members,  and  dis 
burs*  d  at  an  increase  iu  i)rice  to  such 
others  as  may  show  interest   and  want 


copies  of  the  Collestions  of  the  Society. 
A  number  of  eueh  societies  are  under 
way  and  doiug  excellent  work  and 
many  more  will  undoubtedly  be  formed 
&»  tune  pro;-:resses. 

Why  not  test  the  public  interest  in  a 
suggestion  of  this  kind  and  S'^e  whether 
chapters  of  a  few  active  workers  can 
not  be  estublished  in  each  town,  who 
can  work  with  the  officers  of  the  cen- 
tral society  in  collecting  systematically 
what  would  be  pbieed  in  print  at  the 
end  of  each  yeai?  I  am  of  the  opinion 
that  a  movement  of  this  kind  would 
awaken  considerable  interest  and  I 
know  i-ersonally  of  one  or  mo»"e  col. 
lections  already,  of  matters  of  much 
interest,  which  would  probably  be  eon- 
tri'.'utions  towards  estnblishing  a  col- 
lection in  which  Seneca  Couuty  would 
feel  a  special  pride.  Personally  I 
would  prefer  to  see  sny  collection  of 
relics  of  historic  value  given  to  the 
lar>;est  pnbbc  library  which  might 
become  estaldished  in  the  county,  pro- 
vid'  d  always  that  this  was  a  lire  p'^oof 
buihiing  with  other  facilities  for  stor- 
inir  Mss  given  to  it,   etc 

I  have  suggessed  tb?it  this  matter  be 
opened  to  discussion  in  the  papers  of 
the  county,  and  if  sufficient  interest  to 
jnstifv  US  is  manifested,  that  sonte  of 
iifi  get  together  and  see  what  can  be 
done  in  really  establishing  a  movement 
that  fIuiU  react  to  the  credit  and  re- 
nown of  Seneca  County. 


Judiciary  of  the  Connty  of  Seneca. 


BY  HON.  JOHN  E.  RICHARDSON. 


On  the  20th  day  of  April  1777.  the 
representatives  of  iLe  State  of  New 
Y'iik  assembled  at  Kiiig.-iton  and 
adopted  the  first  Conslitiitiuu  of  the 
State  of  New  York.  Under  thai.  «  on- 
stitulion  the  Conuty  Judge  or  th*^  first 
Judge  of  the  County  of  Soueca  were 
appointed  officers.  The  23rd  sub-divi 
sion  of  said  Constitution  provides 
that  all  officers,  oiher  than  those  who 
by  this  constitution  «re  directed  to  be 
otherwise  appointed,  shall  be  ap- 
pointed iu  the  manner  following,  to- 
wit:  The  Assembly  shall  once  in  each 
year,  openly  noaiiuate  and  aj)point 
one  of  the  Senators  from  each  great 
disuict,  which  Senator  will  form  a 
council  for  the  appoinimeut  of  the 
said  officers,  and  which  the  Govt-ruor 
for  the  time  being  sl)all  be  president 
and  have  a  cas'ing  vote,  but 'no  other 
vote;  and  with  the  advice  and  con- 
sent of  said  Council  shall  appoint  all 
the  said  officeis. 

That  the  first  Judge  of  the  (^'o-juty 
Court  in  every  County  shall  hold 
office  during  good  beliavior  or  until 
they  bhall  have  attained  the  age  of 
sixty  years.  This  provision  continued 
in  force  until  1822  when  said  consii- 
itution  wns  amended  enpoweiin^  the 
Governor  with  the  consent  of  the  Sen- 
ate to  make  such  judicial  ftppoiniments 
find  such  appointive  powir  continued 
until  said  c  'n.«titutiiin  was  amended  by 
Chapter  276  of  the  laws  of  1847, 
which  provides  for  ilie  electiai  on  the 
8th  d  ly  of  June  foUnwing  of  a  County 
Judi^e  who  shal  enter  up^  n  the  duties 
of  his  office  July  1st  following  his  elec- 
tiou  and  hoM  office  fur  theteim  of  lour 
J  ears  from  tue  1st  day  of  jKnuary 
next  ;  ami,  after  the  expirfition  of  the 
term  of  office  of  thor^e  tiitt  elected  the 
term  of  office  of  said  offi.;er  shall  be 
four  years. 

By  virtue   of   the   power   c-nferr^d 
upon   said    Council    of    Apprintment 


Cornelius  Humphrey  was  the  first 
judge  appointed  in  and  for  the  Couikty 
of  Seneca  and  the  following  is  a  copy 
of  tiie  certificale  showing  his  appoint- 
ment:—for  which  I  Jim  indebted  to 
Hon.  J.  B.  II.  Mongin,  Deputy  Secre. 
tary  of  State. 

"At  a  me-Ming  of  the  Council  of 
Ajipointm*  n!  held  at  the  Chambers  of 
His  Excellency  the  Governor,  in  tiie 
City  of  Albany  on  Monday,  the  2nd 
day  of  April.  1804. 

Present,  his  Excellency  George 
Climon,  Esquire.  Pn-sident. 

The  Honorable  John  Broome,  Caleb 
Hvde,  Thomas  Tredwell,  Et-.qrs. 
Members. 

R*'8olved,  thatagenerfil  coiwralssion 
issue  for  the  County  of  Seneca,  that 
the  following  persons  he  and  they  are 
hereby  appointed  Civil  Offloers  of  said 
county,   viz, 

Cornelius  Humphrey,  Grover  Smith, 
John  Sayse,  Judg<s  and  Justices  of  the 
Peace. 

Jouns  Whiting  of  Ulysses,  J«mes 
Van  Horn  of  Ovid,  Asa  Smith  of 
Romulus,  Bt'.naJMh  Boardmau  of  Wash- 
ington, {is-u8far)t  justices  and  justices. 
Justic<^s  of  the  Peace,  James  Jack- 
son, Stephen  Woodworth,  John  'Vown- 
send,  Jr  ,  Ovid;  I  homns  Shepnidsou, 
Ulysses  ;  D.iniel  Evens,  Hector;  Joiin 
Hood,  Washington;  lewis  Birdsall, 
Jt  sse  Southwick,  Junius. 

Jared  Suuford,  Surrogate;  Silas  Hal- 
sey,     County  Clerk;     William  Smith, 
Sheriff;  Charles  Thompson,  Coroner. 
Geo.    Clinton, 
Jno    Broome 
Caleb  H\de. 
Thom  IS  Tredwell. 
Judge  Humphrey  served  with  honor 
uud  distinction  un'il    May,  1809,  as    is 
shown  by  the  lecords   of  the  Court  of 
this   County.      He  was  born  in    1735; 
he   served  as  colonel    in    the   Revolut- 
i-  nary  war  and  was  a   member   of  the 


28 


Second  Provincial  Congress  and  as  a 
Representative  from  Dutchess  County 
in  the  Senate  and  Assembly.  He  csme 
to  Seneca  County  about  the  year  1801 
and  located  in  what  is  now  known  as 
the  town  of  Ul>sses  and  represented 
this  county  in  the  Ass- lubly   1806-07. 

The  first  court  iu  the  County  of 
Seneca  was  held  in  the  house  of  John 
Seeley  on  lot  No.  3  in  the  town  of 
Ovid,  and  held  there  almost  contin- 
uously until  May,  1807,  at  which  time 
court  was  adjourned  to  the  first  Tues- 
day in  October  to  the  Court  House  iu 
the  town  of  Ovid,  but  when  court  con- 
vened the  Court  House  was  not  com- 
pleted and  the  court  was  adjourned  to 
the  hoiise  of  John  Seeley  and  coutnued 
to  adjourn  from  time  to  time  to  the 
house  of  John  Seeley  until  the  second 
Tuesday  of  May,  1808,  when  th^  first 
court  was  held  in  the  Court  House  in 
the  village  of  Ovid.  The  judges  hold- 
ing said  court  were  Cornelius  Hum- 
phrey, tirst  judge,  Grover  Smith,  John 
bayre  and  Benjauiiu  Pelton. 

The  hrst  court  held  in  Waterloo 
w^as  a  Term  of  the  General  sessions  of 
the  Peace,  May  12,  1818,  and  wms  pre 
side.d  over  by  Justices  John  Sayre,  John 
Burton  and  Benjamin  Hendricks  and 
were  so  held  until  March  29,  1822, 
when  au  act  was  passed  by  the  Legis- 
lature which  provided, 

''That  the  several  couris  nf  tiie 
common  pleas,  general  sessions  of  the 
peace,  circuit  courts  and  oyer  and  ter- 
miner, hereafter  to  be  holden  in  and 
for  the  County  of  Seneca,  shill  ba  held 
alternately  at  tlie  court  house  in  the 
town  of  Ovid,  and  at  the  cdurt  house 
in  the  towu  of  Junius;  and  that  the 
next  May  term  of  the  court  of  com 
mon  pleas  and  general  sessions  of  the 
peace,  in  and  for  said  county,  shall  be 
held  at  the  court  house  in  the  town  of 
Ovid  ;  and  all  writs  and  process  what- 
soever, returnable  in  said  courts,  at 
the  n«xt  day  May  term  thereof,  shall 
be  taken  and  deemed  returnable  at  the 
said  court  house  in  the  towu  of  Ovid  ; 
and  all  persons  who  are  or  shall  be 
bound  or  required  to  appear  at  the 
said  next  Ma)^  term  of  the  said  courts, 
or  either  of  them,  by  bond,  recog- 
nizance,  or  otherwise  shall  be   taken, 


deemed  and  considered,  io  be  bound 
and  required  to  appenr  at  the  court 
house  in  the  town  of  Ovid,  aforesaid, 
and  the  first  circuit  court  and  oyer  and 
terminer,  to  be  held  for  tiu- naid  county 
shall  be  held  at  the  oourl  house  in  the 
town  of  Junius  " 

''That  from  and  after  the  p  issage  of 
this  act,  there  shall  be  two  jury  dis- 
tricts in  the  county  of  bfjneca,  the  first 
to  comprise  the  towns  of  Covert,  Ovid 
and  Roamlus,  and  the  so  ond  tbe  towns 
of  Fayette,  Junius,  Gal«n  and  Wolcott ; 
and  the  cleric  of  said  county  sii;.!!  kewp 
the  names  of  the  Jurors  in  such  districts 
separate,  and  the  jurors  sliajl  be  drawu 
for  each  court,  from  the  jury  district 
iu  which  the  court  is  to  be  held." 

''That  it  shall  not  be  lawful  for  the 
supervisors  of  the  said  couiuty  to  sell 
the  court  house  in  the  town  of  Ovid, 
or  the  lot  of  land  on  wiiich  the  same 
stands,  any  law  heretofore  made  to 
the  contrary  notwithstanding  " 

The  county  court  until  the  adoption 
or  the  Constituiion  in  1846  was  divided 
into  two  branches,  one  kuowu  as  the 
Court  of  Common  Pleas  which  had 
juriscli(  tion  of  Civil  Matters  and  a 
Criminal  Court  called  General  Sessions 
of  the  Peace;  the  other  court  to  wtiich 
we  have  the  honor  of  referring  to  is 
the  Surrogate's  Court. 

May  31st  1809,  Benjamin  Pelton  was 
appointed  ^>6i  judge  and  served  until 
1812.  He  came  to  the  town  of 
Ulysses  about  1802.  He  served  as  a 
captain  of  the  Revolutionary  War  and 
died  iu  Ithaca  about  1830. 

Oiver  C.  Comstock  was  appointed 
first  judiie  May,  1812,  and  served  un- 
April  13,  1815.  Judge  Comstock  was 
a  man  representing  three  professions, 
a  doctor,  lawyer  and  minister.  He 
served  Seneca  county  as  Member  of 
Assembly  and  as  a  representative  in 
Congress  afterwards  served  as  Chaplain 
of  Congress.  Judge  Comstock  was 
born  in  Warwick.  Kent  County,  Rhode 
Island.  He  died  at  the  home  of  his 
son  iu  Mar^ihall,  Calhoun  County, 
Michigan.  January  11,  1860. 

Judge  Comstock  was  succeeded 
April  13,  1815,  by  John  Knox  who 
served  until  June  18,  1818.  Judge 
Knox  died  August  1,  1853,  aged  about 


29 


seventy  years.  He  was  a  man  of 
much  leflrniog  and  it  has  been  said  of 
bill!  iliat  his  succe8.i  was  1/trgtly  due 
to  bis  magnetic  pei^onnliiy  and  judg- 
ment displaytd  in  hi.s  business  Com- 
uiou  s^nse  was  bis  motto  in  cdudueting 
cases  rhtbtT  tban  couiumu  law,  hnd  he 
libe  most  of  the  eKrly  praitiiioners  took 
great  deligbt  in  aiding  a  young  man 
rather  than  dis(iour«giiig  bim. 

On  June  18,  1818,  John  McL' an, 
Jr.,  was  a(jpoioied  to  said  p.isilion  and 
served  until  January  30,  1823. 

Luiher  Stevens  snceeded  John  Mc 
Ltan,  Jr.,  J/aui-iry  30,  1823,  and  served 
until  March  13,  1833. 

March  IS,  1833,  Jesse  Clarke  was 
appointed  lo  that  b"nor*^d  position  and 
served  until  July  1,  1847.  Judge 
Clark  was  born  in  Berkshire  County, 
Mass  ,  where  he  acquired,  chi<  fly 
throU|\'.h  his  own  efforts  as  a  teacher,  a 
liberal  eduCHtion.  He  came  to  V\  ater- 
looin  1814,  and  comnn.nced  ttie  practica 
of  law,  and  soon,  by  his  bupenor  tal 
ents  and  education  rose  to  an  envial)ie 
prominence  and  sutcess  in  his  pro- 
fession. At  th«  elecilois  under  the  Con- 
stitution of  1821  lie  was  chosen  one  of 
the  senators  for  the  western  district 
He  di.-d  May  20,  1849. 

In  July  1847,  the  term  of  J.tmes  K. 
Ri;h;irdson,  the  first  elective  county 
judge  of  the  coumy  of  S>ueca  com- 
menced. He  strvfcd  until  Janu?iry  1, 
1852.  Judge  Kiciiard-ion  wai  born  at 
West  Burlington,  Otsego  county,  in  this 
State,  October  3,  1806,  and  died  at 
Waterloo,  October  9,  1875.  firming 
my  fitther  I  tli'iughi  1  would  much 
rather  spread  upon  this  paper  the 
thoughts  of  the  memhers  of  the  Bar 
of  the  County  of  Seneca  rather  than 
my  otvu  estimate  of  the  man,  but  to 
my  utter  astonishment  I  tiud  that  the 
r.  cords  of  the  proceeding  of  the  courts 
of  this  county,  from  the  time  my  father 
was  elected  to  the  present,  c^'Utained 
memorial  articles  relating  to  every 
judge  who  has  departed  this  life  ex- 
cept James  K  Rnlmrdson.  I  find  in 
an  issue  of  the  Waterloo  Oi>server 
the  we^k  that  my  father  died  that  the 
members  of  the  bar  assembled  at  the 
ofiice  of  Judge  Hadley  and  they  then 
chose  Judge  Hadley,    William  H.  Bur- 


ton E-q.,  and  Charles  A.  Hawley,  Esq., 
a  committee  to  draft  and  present  resol- 
utions to  the  next  term  of  court  I 
cannot  bdieve  that  the  committee 
failed  to  do  their  duty  as  I  believe 
Judge  Kichard-on  was  honored  and 
respected  by  all,  and  the  only  excuse 
I  can  find  is  that  the  county  clerk  was 
too  tired  at  that  time  to  record  the 
proceedings  of  the  committee  and  the 
court  in  adopting  tlieir  kind  words. 
I  do  tiud  m  the  edition  of  the  Water- 
loo Observer  above  referred  to.  the 
following: 

"Judge  James  K.  Richardson  was 
born  in  Otsego  coubty,  in  1806.  In 
obedience  to  tiie  wights  of  his  father, 
who  was  a  ph\siciaii  of  note  in  that 
county,  he  studied  medicine,  but  on  the 
very  day  that  he  attained  the  age  of 
of  twenty -one  years,  he  relinquished 
all  idea  of  following  that  profession 
which  W6S  d;sia6teful  to  him,  came  to 
Waterloo  and  commenced  reading  law 
in  the  offico  of  Messrs.  Samuel  Clark 
and  Daniel  Ruggles.  Shortly  after  he 
was  called  to  the  bar,  he  left  for  the 
west,  but  retuniLd  to  New  Yoik  State 
iu  a  year  or  two  afterwards,  opening 
an  oftioo  at  Sodus,  Wayne  county,  and 
continued  practicing  law  in  that  county 
for  five  years.  IMr.  Somuel  Clarke, 
the  same  under  whom  he  had  studied 
law,  then  offered  him  a  partnership  in 
his  business  in  Waterloo  which  the 
deceased  accepted,  and^lhe  has  ever 
since  resided  here.  Iu  politics  Mr. 
Richardson  was  always  a  very  strong 
Republicm,  and  for  many  years  he  con- 
tributed veryihirgely  to  the  Seneca  Falls 
Courier,  a  fact  not  generally  known. 
He  '^was  elected  county  judge  at  the 
first  election  under  the  new  constit- 
ution of  1^6,  and  in  the  twofold  ca- 
pacity of  judge  ami  surrogate  he  earned 
for  hinuelf  a  true  record  of  honesty  and 
uprightness,  and  here  we  may  use  the 
expression  made  to  us  yesterday  by  one 
of  the  oldest  of  the  bar  in  Seneca 
Count  j\  'that  he  was  an  honest  and 
upright  man  as  ever  livid,  profess- 
ionally or  otherwise."  He  made  a 
most  excelb'ut  surrojj;ate.  always  care- 
ful and  accomuKidating,  he  was  per- 
fectly competent  and  was  remarkable 
for   the  methodical   way   iu  which   his 


30 


papers  were  always  kept." 

•Tmijjn  Ricbardaon  was  fjucceeded  by 
-joliii  E  See.ley  who  served  fr'-'u  Jau- 
uary  1,  1852  to  Jauuacy  1856.  Judge 
Strcley  died  March  30,  1S75.  He  re- 
ceivi'd  bis  ncid'-ixiieal  edui'silion  at  the 
Ovid  Acadtmy,  under  the  tuition  of 
A'iliiam  rviu,  after  wnicli  he  pstssed 
ihrough  a  lull  course  "?  stuily  at  Yale 
College,  where  lie  grjUj,i.\*.ed  iu  1835. 
He  then  studied  law  iu  tbia  village  at 
the  tffice  of  llou  Jobn  Maviiard 
About  the  year  1836  or  '37  he  located 
at  Monroe.  Michigan,  but  returned  to 
Ovid  iu  1839.  Iu  the  campaiga  (^f 
1840,  be  wa.s  a  very  active  Hjirriaou 
ujau — was  cbaiiman  of  the  town  coui- 
miitee.  In  1842,  he  was  supervisor  of 
the  town  Iu  1848,  be  acted  wiib  the 
"Free  Soil"  party,  aad  iu  1857  was 
elected  Judge  of  the  county  by  the 
united  vote  of  the  Democratic  and 
Free  Soil  Party,  running  ninety  stveu 
votes  ahead  of  bi8  ticket  iu  this  town, 
He  represented  this  district  in  the  first 
Republican  National  Couvention,  and 
was  the  |frfsideulial  elector  fur  this 
district  ui  1860,  and  again  in  1864  and 
elected  to  Congress  in  1870;  was  a 
trnstte  of  VVillard  Asylnia  nud  I  think 
president  of  tbe  hoard  from  its  nrgau- 
izaiiou,  until  after  be  was  elected  to 
Cougret^s,  wheti  he  resigned.  In  tvery 
station  of  life  he  was  always  to  be 
trusted.  In  all  public  enterprise  he 
took  an  active  part,  and  when  money 
was  to  be  raised,  he  was  genera'ly  at 
the  bead  of  tbe  list.  He  was  an  un- 
comprising  foe  to  slavery  ;  the  black 
man  h.i^sd  no  truer  fritnd. 

Stejlirg  G.  Hadley  sucopeded  Judge 
Seeley  and  served  uutd  1860.  Judge 
riadley  wfis  born  iu  the  town  of  G-shen, 
Litcbfit-ld  County,  Conn,  August  26, 
18I2,  and  died  at  Waterloo,  September 
1,  19(»1.  His  early  yearn  were  passed 
in  diii^  rent  places  where  the  fauiily  re- 
sided, and  be  fitted  for  college  at  Egre- 
niont  Academy.  In  1833  be  entered 
Union  College;  at  Scheueciady,  N.  Y., 
from  which  he  graduated  in  1836,  and 
af'erward  he  tausrbt  iu  thn  Avon 
Springs  Academy.  April  1,  1837,  he 
came  to  Walerioo.  where  he  since  re- 
sided.  He  read  law  with  Hon  Samuel 
Birdsall   and  was  admitted  to  the   bar 


in  1839,  after  which  he  was  in  partner- 
ship with  his  former  piv;ceptor  for  four 
jefirs.  Later,  forming  a  p«rinersbip 
with  John  McAllii^ter,  he  continued 
with  that  gentlemen  under  tbe  iirm 
title  of  McAllister  &  Hadley,  until  the 
death  of  tbe  former.  For  ten  years 
he  was  Justice  of  the  Peace,  but  re- 
signed upon  his  election  as  County 
Judge  and  Surrngnte  for  a  term  of 
four  years.  Nor  did  bis  public  service 
end  here.  Oa  tbe  Democratic  ticket 
he  was  elected  a  member  of  tbe  Lower 
House  of  the  Lfgialature.  The  Gover- 
nor tendered  bicu  tbe  appnintmeut  of 
State  As-iessnr,  whiah  position  he  held 
for  several  years,  and  which  took  him 
into  evex'y  county  of  the  state.  He 
was  al'^o  president  of  tbe  Board  of 
Managers  of  the  State  Hospital  located 
on  Seneca  lake. 

In  1859  George  Franklin  was  elected 
county  judge;  be  was  re-elected  in 
1867  and  again  in  1877  and  served 
fourteen  years.  Judge  Fraiikdn  was 
born  in  tbe  town  of  Idector,  December 
8,  1819  and  died  iu  the  village  of  Ovid 
April  24,  1886.  He  was  an  upright, 
conscientious  man,  a  father  aud  friend 
to  tbe  young  practitioner,  more  than 
wilting  to  aid  him  in  bis  work  and  we 
do  nor,  think  that  the  worth  of  Judge 
Franklin  and  the  loss  that  was  sns- 
tauied  in  bis  death  can  be  any  better 
expressed  than  was  done  by  Hon.  Gil- 
bert Wile  >xen,  Frederick  L.  Manning, 
Cbtirles  A.  Hawley,  William  C.  Hazel- 
ton  and  John  E  Richardson,  a  com- 
mittee appointed  April  28,  1886  by 
tbe  Seneca  County  Bar  to  express  their 
thoughts  on  tbe  occasion  of  the  death 
of  Judge  Franklin  which  reads  as 
follows: 

'In  the  death  of  Hon.  George 
Frhnklin  the  bar  has  sustained  no 
common  loss.  Three  times  elected 
Judge  and  Surrogate  of  Seneca  County 
be  discharged  the  important  duties  of 
the  cflice  with  rare  fidelity  and  abilitv. 
He  possessed  and  deserved  the  confi- 
dence of  the  bar  and  the  people  for 
he  was  a  judge  without  fear  and  with- 
out reproach.  He  had  au  eminently 
logical  and  judicial  mind  and  bis  de- 
cisions were  almost  uniformly  sound 
and  correct.     He  was  not  technical  but 


31 


based  his  judicial  action  upon  broad 
and  eqviitable  principles. 

As  a  lawyer  he,  won  the  afimirafion 
and  rfgnrd  of  liis  brethren  and  of  hi«i 
clients  as  vvll- 

He  was  a  man  of  wiiie  and  vavif-d 
attainments.  The  classics  were  tlie 
delights  of  his  leisure  hours;  and  he 
was  intimately  acqu-^inted  with  what  is 
best  and  brightest  in  English  literature. 

But  we  who  have  known  him  so 
long  and  so  well  delight  to  remember 
him  not  only  as  the  ju?t  and  upright 
judge  and  the  able  and  honest  lawyer 
but  to  recall  the  charm  of  his  manner, 
the  warmth  of  his  heart  and  hie  unusual 
aceompHshraenls  in  social  life.  We 
shall  cherish  the  memory  of  his  genial 
presence  and  in  all  the  years  to  come 
shall  feel  our  loss. 

We  tender  to  his  family  and  to  the 
community  where  he  was  best  known 
and  loved  and  honored  our  sympathy 
ir    Qis  hour  of  sorrow." 

Grilhert  Wilco'sen, 
Fredirifik  L.  Manning 
Char'es  A.  Hawley 
William  V.  H'lzelton 
«John  E.  RieliHrdson, 
Committee. 

Seneca  County  Court  May  25,    1889. 

Pr*  sented  and  read  in  oper?  c^urt  and 
motion  orderf^v  entered  upon  the  min- 
vtes  of  the  court,  and  so  entered. 

Abratn  Wilson,  Di'p.  Clerk. 

In  1863  Josiah  T.  Miller  was  elected 
and  entered  upon  the  duties  of  the 
office  and  served  the  people  until 
January  1,  1868.  Judge  Josiah  T. 
Miller  was  born  in  April  1820  in 
Parry  Co.,  Pa.;  he  came  to  Seneca 
County  at  an  early  age  and  in  1850  and 
1859  served  the  county  as  District  At- 
torney ;  in  1860  he  was  apftointed  on 
the  stnfF of  Governor  Seymour  and  \n 
1869  he  represented  the  county  in  the 
Assembly ;  and  my  feeble  words  can 
not  express  the  loss  to  the  Bar  of  the 
County  of  Seneca  in  the  death  of 
Jndge  Miller  as  do  the  proceedings  of 
the  committee  appoint^nl  to  do  honor  to 
his  memory  and  for  that  rnason  I  give 
in  full  the  proceedings  of  the  County 
Court  as  shown  by  the  record. 


death  "\ 

T.  Millr-r       ) 


"In   re  the  death 
of 

Hon.  Josiah 

In  honor  to  the  meusory  of  Josinh 
T.  Miller  deceased.  the  following 
r«!SoIutiou<3  were  introduced  by  Jasper 
N.  Hammond,  Attorney  at  Luw,  Seu- 
ecr  Falls,  N.  Y., 

Whereas,  The  Bir  of  Sf-ncca 
County  are  grieved  to  learn  of  the 
death  of  Hon.  Jo.-iiah  Thrrapson  Miller, 
at  his  residence  in  Waterloo  in  the 
early  morning  of  I'uesday  the  25. h 
instant,  and 

Whereas.  We  deem  it  fi'ting  that 
we  should  in  a  puldic  manner  record 
out  deep  sorrow  for  the  d.sath  of  a 
man  who  lor  so  many  years  h«8  been  a 
leader  of  this  bar  and  has  had  j'villy 
conftrred  upon  him  so  many  of  its 
honors.  W«  his  brethren  in  the  pro- 
fession of  the  law  have  therefore, 

Resolved,  That  w-j  bow  with  rever- 
ence and  resignation  to  the  decree  of 
Providt'nce  that  has  deprived  us  of  a 
personal  and  professional  frit-nd,  and 
in  oon)Uion  with  the  comiunnity  at  large 
mourn  his  losfi,  we  recognize  Judge 
Miller's  distinguished  prtifessiou".!  abil- 
ity and  profound  and  thorough  learn- 
ing in  the  law. 

To  the  discharge  of  the  duties  of 
his  pioft'ssion  he  brouf'.ht  a  high  sense 
of  profysi}ioii;U  honor,  and  a  wealth  of 
leiial  learning  and  resource.  Guided 
by  a  strong  sense  of  ju' tice,  he  was 
fearless  in  the  mf.intainance  of  matured 
opinion.  Asa  jud^e  he  was  able  and 
upright,  ever  te«>periug  justice  with 
mercy.  He  won  the  respect  of  the 
Bench  and  Bar  and  with  all  with  whom 
he  associated.     And  it  is  further 

Resolved,  That  while-  we  are  proud 
of  these  professional  attainments  and 
honors  of  our  departed  friend  which 
in  a  lars:e  sum  aie  puhlio  property  we 
gratefully  record  these  private  oersonal 
attributes  which  made  so  very  pleasant 
our  intercourse  with  him.  A  genial 
and  courteous  genHtinau  he  treated 
with  consiileration  tho  opiu'on  and  re- 
spectt^d  the  qu'ilities  of  his  equals  in 
position  at  tho  Bir  and  to  its  younger 
members  he  was  a  constant  and  valued 
friend  ever  ready  to  help  by  wi^e 
counsel,  and  direct  theui  with  thetreas- 


32 


ures  of  his  large  experience. 

To  tlie  lowly  he  wfts  a  eonstant  bene- 
factor and  no  poor  man's  cause  with 
justice  in  it  was  ever  declined  by  him. 
And   it  is  further 

Resolved,  That  to  his  stricken  family 
we  tender  <  ur  since! est  sympathy  in 
their  great  bereavement. 

Resolved.  That  this   Bar    attend   the 
funeral    of  our  [riend  \n  a  body     and 
that  these   reBohitiotis  he    piesented    at 
the  next  term  of  the  Supreme  Court  ni 
this  couuty,   and  to    the   next    term    of 
the  Sene«a  County  Court,  and  be  pub- 
lished in  the  county  Press  and   a   copy 
of  the  same  suitably  en^ros?ed  be    pre- 
sented to  the  family  of  the  deceas'-d. 
William  H.  Burton 
Jasper  N.   Hammond 
John  Landon  Ivpndig 
('om.  of  Sen.  Co.  Bar. 

Tfiese  resolutions  were  adopted  by 
and  spread  upon  the  minutes  of  the 
court  November  11,  1884. 

Gilbert  Wilcoxen  was  elected  county 
judge  in  1871  and  served  for  pix  years 
and  is  ono  of  the  two  ex  county  judges 
who  IS  perndtted  to  be  with  us  to  d?t)'. 
Judge  Wilcoxen  was  born  in  the  town  of 
Smithfield, 'Madison  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Septem- 
ber 25,  1828  He  moved  to  Seneca 
Falls  in  1839  and  graduated  from 
Hamilton  College  in  1852.  On  leav- 
ing college  he  selected  the  legal  pro- 
fe^'pion  and  immediniely  entered  the 
otBce  of  the  late  Judge  Millar  at  Sen- 
eca Fflll^,  and  was  admitted  to  practice 
in  1854  but  did  not  commence  the 
practice  of  his  profession  until  1860  ; 
as  an  attorney  and  counselor  he  has 
won  great  diatinctinn  for  hie  learning 
and  ability ;  and  contrary  to  the  usual 
avocation  of  an  attorney  he  has  been 
president  of  the  Seneca  Falls  Savings 
BanK  for  more  tbnn  twenty  years. 
Prior  to  his  election  as  county  judge 
he  represented  his  town,  Seneca  Falls, 
in  the  Board  of  Supervisors. 

In  1883  Peter  H.  V«n  Auken  was 
elected  county  jndge  and  served  six 
years  and  is  the  second  ex-judge  living. 
Judge  Van  Auken  was  born  in  Guilder 
land.  Albany  County,  N.  Y.  He  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  at  Troy,  in  1859, 
from  thence  he  went  to  Phelps,  On- 
tario   county,  and    opened     an    office. 


He  took  up  his  residence  at  Seneca 
FnUs  in  1861  and  from  1862  to  1864 
was  in  bu-tiness  with  the  late  Judge 
J\li!!er.  Being  a  very  learned  miu  his 
ability  was  appreciated  by  the  electors 
from  the  fact  that  bef"re  being  elected 
to  the  office  of  county  judge,  he  was 
honored  by  his  town  in  hnviug  been 
chosen  Supervisor,  Member  of  the 
Hoard  of  Education  and  Justice  of  the 
Peace  and  his  departure  to  Rochestf-r, 
his  present  home,  was  regretted  by  all 
who  knew  him. 

William  C.  Hazelton  was  elected 
county  judge  in  1889  anri  served  until 
January  1.  1896.  Judge  H'^z^lton  was 
born  jn  Tompkins  county,  Sept<=mber 
1,  1835  and  divd  m  the  town  of  Ovid, 
in  this  county  March  2.  1898.  He 
followed  the  life  of  a  fanner  until 
abo'jt  1855  when  he  entered  the  office 
of  D'\na.  Beers  &  Howard  of  Ithaca 
and  wf^s  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1858. 
In  1862  he  was  elected  district-attorney 
of  the  county  and  served  three  years. 
In  1868  he  was  re  elected  and  served  a 
third  term  in  1880.  In  1873  he  was 
elected  member  if  assembly.  He  was 
a  good  lawyer,  ever  striving  to  make 
the  fact3  of  anj'  matter  sutunitted  to 
him  correspond  with  the  law  in  the 
matter  so  that  if  he  brought  an  action 
he  would  have  the  law  and  facta  both 
on  his  side 

In  N<)v^'tnbe^  1895  John  E.  Richard- 
son was  elected  to  succeed  Judge  Hazel- 
t'm  and  serv*  d  for  six  years.  And  in 
November  1901  the  electors,  contrary 
to  custom,  re-elected  him  to  succeed 
himself. 

John  E.  Richardson  was  born  Septem- 
ber 10,  1846  in  the  villnge  of  Waterloo 
in  this  couutv  and  attended  the  common 
school ;  in  1866  he  entered  the  office  of 
the  late  Judge  Hadley  and  there  gained 
the  rudiments  of  his  legal  education. 
From  Judge  Hudley's  cfflce  he  went 
to  the  Alb«nv  Law  School  graduating 
there  in  1868  since  which  time  he  has 
been  practicing  in  the  village  of  his 
birth. 

In  the  early  days  of  the  Court  of 
Common  Pleas  and  the  Court  of  Ses- 
sions there  were  associated  with  the 
first  judge,  justices  of  the  peace  who 
were  at  times  called  judges  and  among 


33 


thone  were  Garry  V.  Saokett,  Grover 
Smith,  Jubu  Sfiyre,  Willinm  Molton, 
Janice  Van  Ilorii-;,  Jared  oaiidford, 
liobert  Swnrlhou'/roiukins  C,  l)ol(;Vfiu, 
Joliu  Sutton,  Jncob  L.  Larzolere, 
Thomns  White,  John  Mayiiard,  David 
Burroujihs,  Thomas  C  Majree,  Abra- 
ham Sebring,  Joha  Burton  and  Benja- 
min Hendricks 

The  only  other  court  which  would 
come  under  the  subject  of  the  Judiciary 
of  the  County  of  Seneca  is  the  Surro- 
gate's Court. 

The  first  Surrogate  appointed  was 
Jarcd  Saudfcrd  and  the  first  court  held 
was  in  tlie  town  of  Ovid,  and  the  first 
wili  admitted  to  probate  was  that  of 
Is8ae  Ilagernmn  of  Ovid,  June  7,  1804. 
And  the  first  letters  of  admiuistraiiou 
were  issued  June  10,  1804,  on  the 
estate  of  Davitl  Kelly,  late  of  the 
town  of  Ovid,  N.  Y.  Jared  Sandford 
was  appointed  April  2,  1804  and  served 
uiilil  April  14,  1811,  he  was  re-ap- 
pointed April  6th,  1813  and  served 
until  February  28,  1815. 

John  Sayre  wns  appointed  surrogate 
February  14,  1811  and  served  until 
1813.  Judge  Sayre  was  born  in  the 
town  of  Booming  Gfove,  Orange  Co.  N. 
y..  July  24,  1707;  be  du'd  March  4, 
1848;  Soptembrr  2,  1800  he  was  chosen 
Supervisor  of  Romulus  and  re  elected 
year  after  year  until  1808  ;  he  was  re- 
elected supervi«3or  in  1830  31  32.  In 
1804  he  was  elected  the  first  member  of 
assembly  and  re-elected  in  1808  and 
again  in  1831 ;  he  served  as  treasurer 
of  the  county  from  1817  to  1821. 
For  many  years  he  was  associate  judge 
of  the  Seneca  County  Courts  and  was 
the  first  postmaster  of  Romulus, 

William  Thompson  was  chosen  sur 
rogate  February  28,  1815  and  served 
until  April  3,  1819,  he  was  re-ap- 
pointed March  31,  1821  and  served 
until  December  3,    1827. 

Judge  Thompson  was  born  in  Still- 
water, Saratoga  Co.  N.  Y.,  March  4, 
1785,  he  graduated  at  Union  College, 
Schenectady,  N.  Y.,  in  1806.  After 
completing  his  college  studies  he  en. 
tercd  the  office  of  his  brother  James 
who  was  practicing  law  in  Milton, 
Saratoga  Co,,  N.  Y.  In  the  spring  of 
1812    he   found   his   new    home     and 


pitched  his  tent  in  the  town  of  Ovid  in 
this  county.  It  is  said  of  him  '^Not 
greedy  of  gain,  he  did  not  use  his  in- 
fluence as  a  lawyer  in  the  promotion  of 
strife,  but  often  eounciled  amicable 
settlement  of  difiiculties  between  con- 
tending parties."  Though  not  seek- 
ing preferment,  he  was  more  than  once 
called  to  represent  liis  county  in  the 
Legislative  Halls  of  the  state,  and  by 
his  acknowledged  ability  and  popular- 
ity succeeded  to  the  Speaker's  chair, 
lie  died  November  18,  1871. 

Luther  F.  Stevens  was  appointed 
surrogate  April  3,  1819  and  served  as 
such  until  March  31,  1821. 

December  3,  1827.  Samuel  Birdsall 
was  appointed  surrogate.  Judge  Bird- 
sail  was  born  May  14,  1791  at  Hills- 
dale, Columbia  Co  ,  N.  Y.  In  the 
year  1817  he  moved  to  Waterloo  and 
for  more  than  half  a  century  after  set. 
tling  in  Waterloo  his  position  was  one 
of  prominence  and  influence  and 
among  the  many  honorable  positions 
filled  by  him  were  Master  in  Chancery; 
Division  Judge  Advocate;  with  the 
rank  of  Colonel ;  Counsellor  in  the 
Supreme  Court;  Surrogate  of  Seneca 
County ;  District  Attorney  of  the 
county ;  postmaster  at  Waterloo  and 
Member  of  Congress.  He  died  on  the 
8!h   day   of  February,   1872. 

Jeheil  H.  Halsey  was  appointed 
July  22,  1837  as  Judge  Birdsall's 
successor.  He  died  December  5,  1867. 
John  Morgan  who  was  appointed 
surrogate  March  2,  1843,  was  the  last 
surrogate  appointed,  he  serving  until 
July  1st  1847,  at  which  time  the  offices 
of  the  county  judge  and  surrogate  were 
consoli.lated  and  the  duties  of  each 
performed  by  the  county  judge. 

This  concludes  the  Judiciary  of  the 
County  of  Seneca  from  the  foundation 
cf  the  county  to  the  prcent  but  it  does 
not  seem  right  that  I  should  conclude 
this  p'lpcr  without  referring  to  the 
Hon.  John  Maynard  and  Addison  T. 
Knox  who  were  long  residents  of  this 
county  and  held  the  position  of  Judge 
of  the  Supreme  Court  which  was  not 
part  of  the  Judiciary  of  Seneca  County 
any  more  than  of  other  counties  com- 
prising the  Supreme  Court  District  m 
which  they  presided. 


34 


Judge  Addison  T.  Knox  was  the 
sou  of  John  Kiiox  and  the  third  iu  birth 
ot"  seven  children;  lie  was  born  iu  a 
house  near  the  'Kingdom".  He  was 
a  cripple  from  birth  and  as  his  mother 
often  remarked  •' Being  a  cripple 
Addison  always  had  his  owu  way  and 
that  is  the  reason  he  has  such  an  over- 
bearing dieposition."  Judge  Add  Kuox 
as  he  was  familiarly  called  was  ch  ctcd 
in  November  1859  ;  he  was  an  excellent 
lawyer  and  proved  himself  an  honor- 
able and  competent  judiei-il  officer. 
He  died  May  11,  1862  and  Hon.  James 
C.  Smith  of  Canandaigua  was  ap- 
pointed his  successor. 

Judge  Maynard  was  elected  June 
1847  and  strved  until  March  24,  1850 
being  the  date  of  Jiis  death.  And 
Judge  Henry  W.  Taylor  was  appointed 
as  his  successor.  March  27,  1850. 

Prior  to  May  23,  1884.  moneys  be- 
longing to  infants  and  others  were  left 
wi!h  the  Surrogate  of  the  county  for 
investment  and  the  surprising  part  is 
tliat  they  were  never  required  to  render 
an  account  for  tbose  moneys  only  to 
infants  who  might  attain  the  age  of 
twenty-one  years.  Simply  turning 
over  to  their  successors  in  office  tiie 
money  in  securities  which  they  had  on 
hand.  In  Mfiy  1884  an  act  was  pris'^ed 
by  our  Legislature  directing  the  Gen- 
eral  Term  of  the  Supreme  Court  to  ap- 
point some  suitable  person  to  examine 
the  books  and    accounts   and   vouchei's 


of  the  Surrogate's  Court  relating  to 
these  trust  funds  and  directii)g  that 
the  surrogate  turn  the  amount  so 
found  in  his  hands  over  to  the  county 
treasurer  aud  from  that  time  the  county 
treasurer  and  not  the  sun'ogate  has 
been  the  depositary  of  these  funds  and 
although  the  surrogates  were  not  re- 
quired to  render  an  account  of  these 
funds,  yet  when  the  accountant  ap- 
pointed by  the  Supreme  Court  ex. 
amined  the  accouiit  of  the  surrogates, 
he  reported  all  moneys  were  accounted 
for  and  that  there  never  had  been  one 
cent  loats  in  the  acts  of  said  surrogatHS 
of  our  county. 

For  many  of  the  biegvaphical  facts 
couiainvd  in  ttus  paper  1  am  indebted 
to  Hon.  Di  idrirJi  Willers,  ex-Secre- 
tary of  State  aud  in  closing  I  wish  to 
express  my  thanks  for  the  help  he  lias 
given  m!3. 

To  the  officers  of  this  association 
who  have  honored  me  as  their  choice 
to  prepare  this  paper  I  can  only  in  this 
fe<rble  way  express  my  appreciation 
and  wish  that  health  and  strength  had 
been  spared  me  that  I  might  have 
presented  to  them  a  more  acceptable 
paper,  but  J  assure  them  that  situated 
as  I  liave  been  since  I  was  notified  of 
their  de.-jirc  I  have  done  the  best  I  could 
aud  hope  that  its  contents  will  be  of 
benefit  to  them  in  the  further  progress 
of  their  historical  work. 


Our  Predecessors  in  Seneca  County 

The  Sachem-0=ja-geght  and  the  Cayuga  Indians. 


By     F^r&dk    Teller. 


It  was  an  early  hoiu'  of  the  aftornooii 
of  the  2l8t  of  October  1794  wheu  an 
agt-d  ohitjf  or  Imlinn  sachem  of  the  Cay- 
uga Natii  u  arose.  Before  hiiu  burned 
the  conucil  fire  of  the  six  nations. 
From  his  place  nt  the  head  of  the  inner 
circle  of  the  council,  he  j^azed  around 
upon  a  vast  gathering  that  encircled 
him  as  it  stretched  away  in  ever  widen- 
ing circles.  This  council  was  the  last 
general  one  ever  held  by  the  United 
Slates  with  the  Six  Nations  as  a  whole 
and  it  WHS  the  largest  concourse  of  the 
dittV;rent  tribes  comprising  its  diU'^rent 
nations,  except  the  Mohawks,  thnt  has 
ever  since  been  gMth-red  together. 
Besedes  the  Ca3Ugfis  and  the  other 
al  lied  nations  of  the  Iroqais  Conf edi?racy 
were  a  number  of  the  conquergd  and 
dependent  tribe.  The  Seneca?,  how- 
ever were  by  far  the  most  numerous. 
The  number  in  attandeiice  amounted  to 
very  nearly  two  thousand  red  men. 
The  treaty  wa-i  held  a  few  miles  to  the 
weat  of  us  at  Can-mdnigua.  from  where 
the  council  was  convened  could  be  seen 
the  waters  of  that  befiutiful  lake  spark 
ling  in  the  sun  surrounded  by  the  bar- 
baric colorings  o*f  the  wild  foictits  in 
their  Indian  summer  frost  tints. 

The  fjged  chief  who  had  ari.^fn  to  hiij 
feet  to  answer  on  behnlf  of  the  Six 
Nations  the  congra'.ulatory  and  intro- 
ductory a(idr(^ss  nsade  by  the  Indian 
Commissioner  C'>1.  Piokerirg,  on  the 
day  previous  at  the  opening  of  the 
grand  council  wa^  O  ji-goght.  lie  was 
commonly  called  by  the  wliilea  "The 
Pish  Carrier"  and  sometimes  "Old 
Fish  ("arrier."  He  was  the  headsman, 
or  eiiief  sachem  of  the  ton  civil  mngis- 
trates  of  the  Cayuga  Indi'ins  and  the 
eer)ior  at  the  time  of  the  fifty  sachems 
who  goverutd  the  civic    affairs  of   the 


Six  Nations.  The  ancient  scrolls  of 
parchment  with  the  wampum  attached 
that  are  now  in  the  custody  of  the  Re- 
gents of  the  University  of  the  Slate  of 
New  York  are  the  original  state  treaties 
that  released  to  the  State  of  New  York 
the  lands  that  compnse  the  present 
county  of  Seneca.  These  are  the  title 
deeds  to  the  lands  that  are  our  birtli- 
right  and  upon  wliich  have  been  built 
the  homes  of  ourselves  and  people  for 
one  hundred  years.  if  you  will  ex- 
amine the  signatures  with  the  totums 
and  sign  manuels  attach-d  thereto  you 
will  find  on  the  part  of  the  red  man 
that  the  first  n'une  in  all  cases  by  reason 
of  his  rank,  his  standing,  and  his  sen- 
iority signed  to  them  to  be  O  ja-geght. 

Of  the  means  used  by  the  Commis- 
sioners of  the  State  of  New  York  to 
persuade,  cjole,  circumvent  and  to 
almost  forcibly  wring  from  the  Cayuga 
Nation  and  from  this  unlettered  man 
0-j'i-geght  their  l.-mds  it  is  the  purpose 
of  this  article  to  treat.  To  this  savage 
barb'-rian  who  stood  out  alone  against 
our  sovereign  state  and  who.^e  one  voice 
making  conformatinu  impossible  al- 
most blocked  the  treaty  that  completes 
our  chain  of  title  to  the  beautiful  rivers 
and  vale.-',  glades  and  lak(  s,  on  which 
are  built  up  the  communities  thnt  we 
here  tonight  call  home,  your  attention 
is  asked. 

Before  listening  to  the  remarks  of 
this  Cayuga  chief  or  sachem  we  will 
better  understand  thorn  if  wo  go  hack  to 
February  of  this  same  year  1794  to  a 
council  th.'it  was  a  ))relimi>jary  of  this 
the  larger  one.  It  was  Cf.Ued  at  the  in- 
stance of  the  Federal  Government  at 
Bnifalo  Creek  foe  the  purpose  of  con- 
cilnting  the  feelings  of  the  Cayuga  nnd 
Seneca    Indians      One    of   the   serious 


36 


questions  that  confronted  the  young 
"Republic  of  the  Thirteen  Fires"  as 
they  were  cslled  by  the  Six  Nations 
was  the  Indian  prol)lem.  The  vexed 
question  of  boundary  lines  had  settled 
down  into  a  stern  determination  on  the 
part  of  the  allied  Indian  tribes  ot  the 
west,  that  the  Ohio  river  should  mark 
the  utmost  white   frontier  settlements. 

In  this  they  were  openly  abettf'd  by 
Thay-en-da-naga  (Joseph  Brant)  the 
fighting  chieitain  of  the  Mohawks  and 
his  entire  Mohawk  following.  This 
powerful  nation  who  had  espoused  the 
cause  of  the  British  in  the  Revolution- 
ary war  had  retired  to  Canada  on  lands 
assigned  to  them  by  the  crown  after 
the  Revolutionary  war  on  the  Penins- 
ular northwest  of  the  Niagara  river. 
Many  of  the  young  men  and  warriors 
of  the  Csyugas  snd  Scnecas  were  also 
upon  the  warpath  in  the  west.  Gen.  St. 
Clair  had  been  defeated  in  a  pilehed 
battle  on  the  Miamis  and  It  was  de- 
sirable  to  prevent  the  Cayugas  and 
Seneca  Indians  from  joining  the  beli- 
gerents  en  masse.  These  ettorts  how- 
ever were  crowned  with  l)ut  partial 
success. 

The  government  distributed  on  this 
occasion  a  liberal  quantity  of  presents 
including  clothing.  The  place  ofmeet- 
ing  so  near  the  frontier  of  Canada  was 
such  however  that  it  was  largely  under 
the  control  of  British  officers.  Col, 
John  Butler  of  Wyoming  memory  was 
conspicuous  in  his  endeavors  to  thwart 
the  designs  of  the  United  States  com- 
missioners. Joseph  Brant  and  Red 
Jacket  were  the  principal  speakers. 
After  mufh  discussion  of  numerous 
propositions  it  was  adjourned  with  tlie 
idea  of  calling  a  general  council  to  be 
held  later  in  the  year  Rumors  were 
accordingly  sent  out  summoning  the 
entire  Six  Nitions  to  a  council  to  be 
held  at  Canandaigua  in  the  following 
autumn.  This  great  and  memorable 
council  which  convened  was  the  result. 

In  the  meantime  the  State  of  Penn- 
sylvania prepared  to  extend  her  settle- 
ments to  Presqne  Island  on  the  shore 
of  Lake  Erie.  This  greatly  ex3.«pfr- 
at'd  the  Six  Nations  who  claimed  this 
territory  as  exclusively  their  own. 
The  Six  Nations  were  about  to  take  the 


field   under   the   leadtrship  of   Joseph 
Brant  when  Presi  lent   Wnshingtou    in 
terferred  and    previ-ned   P.  nnsylvama 
from  any    turiher    prowejuiion   of   her 
designs  at  that  lime. 

The  Indians  eoii  mi'-sioners  ap 
pointed  to  represent  the  United  States 
at  Canandaigua  v;ere  C"l.  Pickering 
called  Can  net  santy  by  the  Indians  and 
General  Israel  Chapin.  The  last 
named  was  a  great  friend  to  the  In- 
dians and  upon  his  d-.^ath  the  iollowing 
spring  a  council  w?;s  held  in  honor  of 
his  memory  April  28,  1795  at  which  a 
request  was  made  that  tiid  son  Cjiptain 
Israel  Chapin  might  be  appointed  in 
his  place.  There  were  also  in  atten- 
deiice  at  this  council  by  special  invit- 
ation^of  the  Indians,  six  quaker  friends, 
three  from  ea'^h  Pennsylvania  and  New 
Jersey.  The  Ouiedas  who  were  the  lirst 
to  arrive  on  the  11th  of  October  went 
into  council  upon  matters  pretainiug  ex- 
clusively to  their  own  nation.  On  the 
fourteenth  the  Onondagas  and  Cayugas 
arrived  and  on  the  same  day  llo-na  ye- 
wus  or  Farmer  Brother  arrived  at  the 
head  of  a  large  delegation    of   Senecas. 

They  were  received  by  the  Indians 
dressed  and  painted  with  all  the  l)ril- 
liancy  and  beauty  of  their  wild  fan- 
tastic tastes.  On  the  18th  Sa-go  ye- 
wat-ha  or  Red  Jacket  and  Ga  hio-di- 
euh  or  Cnrnplnnter  and  several  other 
Seneca  chiefs  arrived  each  with  large 
delegations. 

On  the  afternoon  of  the  18lh  the 
commissioners  and  friends  were  sum- 
moned by  a  son  of  Coriqjlanter  to 
attend  the  formal  openjng  of  the  coun- 
cil. The  officers  and  their  interpreters 
were  surrounded  by  a  dark  assemblage 
as  the  council  fire  was  kindled  and  the 
pipe  of  peace  went  around.  The  In- 
dians are  very  deliberate  in  council  and 
it  was  not  until  the  20th  the  business 
of  the  council  really  began. 

Upon  that  occasion  Col,  Pickering 
performed  the  ceremony  of  condol- 
mcnt  with  the  Delewares  for  the  loss 
of  one  of  their  braves.  He,  in  words, 
took  the  tom.ihawk  from  the  head  of 
the  victim  who  had  been  murdered  by 
a  white  man  and  covered  the  grave 
with  leaves  so  that  no  one  could  see  it 
in  passing.     The  hatchet  which  he  had 


37 


taken  from  the  head  of  the  victim  was 
buried  beneatli  a  pine  tree  which  in 
wordH  was  torn  up  for  tlial  purpose. 
Having  placed  the  hatelict  in  !i  deep 
li  'le  and  covered  it  over  with  stones, 
the  trt'e  was  rcplnnted  on  top  so  tliat 
the  instrument  of  death  could  never 
be  diMcoytred.  The  colonel  then  wiped 
the  blood  from  their  heads  aud  the 
tears  from  their  eyes  and  opened  the 
path  of  peace  wlrich  the  Indians  were 
inviied  to  keep  clear  at  one  end  and 
the  United  Stntes  at  the  other  as  long 
as  the  sun  shone. 

It  vvHS  for  the  purpose  of  answer- 
iui;;  this  address  of  Col.  Pickering  of 
which  the  above  was  the  prtliminary 
that  on  behalf  of  the  Six  Nations,  O  ja- 
geght  had  arisen  in  the  count^il.  Draw- 
ing the  blanket  around  his  tall  and  ex-ect 
thou'^h  aged  form  with  all  Uio  untural 
grace  of  a  native  Indian  he  addressed 
hiin'^elf  to  the  corumis^ion  on  beh-ilf 
of  his  conntryriien.  The  national 
g.ivernmt'iit  has  preserved  nothing  in 
its  archives  in  rtgard  to  thin  council 
except  the  bare  treaty  itself.  But  from 
other  source^,  a  portion  of  the  outline 
of  the  in'erpreter's  remnrks  have  been 
saved.  After  delivering  the  belt  of 
wampum  by  which  he  had  been  sum- 
moned to  the  council. 

He  gazedrctrospectively  at  the  re  . 
la'ions  that  had  existed  between  the 
intruding  wiiite  mnu  and  the  Six 
Nations  "When  the  wbife  ipan  first 
cnme  awd  landt  d  on  our  shores  the  In- 
dians saw  that  ti>ey  were  men  and 
must  have  something  to  subsist  upon. 
They  therefore  pitied  thein  and  gave 
them  some  land  aud  when  they  com- 
plained that  the  land  had  become  too 
small  for  them  the  Indinns  still  pitied 
them  and  from  time  to  time  gave  them 
more.  Tidings  were  carried  back  and 
still  more  cnme  among  us,  yet  we  did 
not  fear  them.  We  took  them  to  be 
friends  ior  they  called  us  brothers. 
At  length  a  great  council  fire  was  kin- 
dled at  Albany  where  a  silver  ciiain 
was  mfide  which  whs  kept  bright  for 
manv  years  until  the  United  Slates  and 
the  (treat  King  over  the  waters  diftered. 
Then  their  brothers  in  Canada  talked 
to  the  Indians  and  they  Jet  the  ciiain 
fall  out  of  their  hands,  yet  it   was    not 


their  fault  but  the  white  people  for  this 
land  over  which  our  white  brothers 
quarrelled  was  created  by  the  Great 
Spirit  for  the  use  of  his  red  children. 

In  the  v/ar  that  ensued  the  minds  of 
our  people  were  very  uneasy. 
We  were  una()le  to  agree  and 
our  council  was  divided.  A  part  of 
our  people  stood  by  the  council  of  the 
thiriecn  fires  while  the  greater  portion 
held  fast  by  the  treaty  belts  whii^h  were 
he'd  by  the  King  across  the  great 
waters.  He  referred  bitturly  to  the 
abandi  nment  of  her  Indian  allies  by 
the  Hritisii  at  the  close  of  the  war  and 
that  in  the  treaty  of  peace  no  provision 
of  any  kind  had  been  made  for  thgm. 
He  re<^apitulated  the  history  of  the 
negotiations  with  the  whitepeople 
afterwards  and  referring  to  the  rea  ties 
of  Fort  Slanwix  complained  of  the 
many  grievances  they  had  sutTered  par- 
ticularly in  the  curtailment  of  their 
territory.  The  IndiMUs  felt  that  at  the 
first  treaty  at  Fort  Stanwix  In  1784  the 
commissioners  had  been  too  grasping. 
In  ttie  subsequent  treaties  every  efiort 
had  b(  en  made  to  fleece  them  of  their 
lands  until  now  ''we  have  hardly  a 
place  left  on  which  to  spread  our 
blankets  but  still  you  are  not  satisfied  " 
In  concluding  O  jn  geght  stated  that 
notwithstanding  their  many  causes  of 
complaint  now,  that  they  had  taken 
hold  of  the  chain  with  the  fifteen  fires 
he  pledged  the  Six    Nations  to  hold  on. 

In  the  above  speech  0-ja-geght  com- 
plains of  the  curtailment  of  the  lands 
of  the  red  man  by  the  various  treaties. 
Let  us  take  up  the  treaty  of  1789  by 
whieh  most  of  the  lands  composing  the 
present  county  of  Seneca  were  released 
to  the  state.  The  exception  being  the 
lands  of  the  west  Cayuga  reservation 
bounded  on  the  east  by  ('ayuga  L'dce. 
north  by  the  Seneca  river,  west  by  the 
reservation  road  and  south  by  the 
town  of  Romulus. 

It  was  determined  by  the  State  of 
New  York  to  hold  a  council  with  the 
Indians  in  September  1788  at  P'ort 
Schuyler  and  agents  and  runners  were 
sent  out  by  the  New  Yors  Indian 
commissioners  to  induce  the  Indians  to 
attend.  It  was  intended  to  make  this 
as  imposing  as  possible  and  great   pre- 


38 


parations  were  made  for  this  embassy 
to  the  Indian  couutry.  I  shall  quote 
almost  liht  rally  from  an  article  of  the 
late  Geo.  Couover.  The  board  of  com- 
missioners and  their  retinne  started 
from  Albany  on  the  23rd  find  did  not 
arrive  at  Furl  Schuyler  until  the  28th 
of  August.  A  wild  romnntic  scene  was 
goon  presented  Governor  Geroge 
Clinton  pitchtd  his  marquee  and  was 
surrounded  by  man  yvvho  had  been  con- 
spicuous in  the  Kevolution  and  were 
then  leading  men  iu  the  new  state. 
They  were  surr(;unded  by  tlie  camp- 
fires  of  ih'^  numerous  representatives  of 
the  Six  Nations  amounting  to  thousands. 
Indian  trad(:;r8  wrve  there  from  New 
York  aud  Canada  in  large  numbers 
with  their  showy  goods  and  trinkets 
and  fire  water,  ready  for  the  sale  of 
goods  on  the  espousal  of  either  the 
intere.st  of  the  siate  or  the  lessees. 
Prominent  lessees  from  Albany,  Hud- 
son and  Can.nda  were  in  the  crowd 
secretly  and  insidiously  endeavoring 
to  thwart  the  object  of  the  council, 
hearing  that  one  of  their  principals 
John  Livinjiston  was  present.  Governor 
Clinton  ordced  him  to  leave  in  three 
hours  and  retire  to  a  distance  of  forty 
miles. 

The  lessees  were  a  company  who  had 
leased  from  the  Indians  a  considerable 
portion  of  their  lands  for  a  term  of 
999  years.  The  laws  of  the  United 
Statt's  and  the  State  of  New  York  pro- 
hibited the  sale  of  their  lands  by  the 
Indians  without  the  approval  of  the 
government  aud  the  state.  To  evade 
this  the  lessee  h'id  leased  nearly  the 
whole  of  western  New  York  for  the 
above  term  which  practicaliy  amounted 
to  a  salf.  The  prominent  lessees  were 
John  Livingston  and  Dr  Benton. 
Their  object  was  the  erection  of  a  new 
slate  we.'t  of  the  reservation  line  sim- 
ular  to  VerFi;ont  which  had  receidly 
been  split  oil' from  the  eastern  part  of 
New  York  and  been  admitted  to  state 
hood. 

"Governor  Clinton  finding  that  the 
Cajugas  and  Seneeas  had  held  back 
sfnt  mf>ssages  to  Kan  a  de  s?iga  now 
Geneva,  to  hurry  tliem  forward.  They 
found  Dr.  Benton  a  prominent  lessee 
aud  his  agents  surrounded    b}'    Indians 


dealing  out  liquor  and  goods  persuad- 
ing them  that  either  New  York  would 
cheat  them  out  of  their  lands  or  else 
put  them  to  death.  Many  of  them 
were  undeceived  and  started  on  the 
journey  but  so  great  had  been  the 
beastly  intoxication,  that  but  few  went 
further  than  Scaw  yaee  (South  Water- 
loo) being  to  unable  proceed  and  but 
few  reaeiied  the  council,  one  Cayuga 
dying  on  the  road." 

On  the  9th  of  September  the  council 
was  opened  by  a  speech  by  Govenor 
Clinton  and  after  a  few  days  negoti- 
ation, a  treaty  was  concluded  with  the 
Ouondagas  whereby  all  their  lands 
were  secured  except  certain  reser- 
vations. Negotiations  with  the  Onei- 
das  followed  and  after  some  days  a 
like  treaty  was  procured  from  them. 
The  couucil  had  now  continued  for 
twenty  live  days  It  became  now  im- 
portant in  order  to  secure  the  balance 
of  the  Indian  lands  to  procure  a  treaty 
with  the  Cavngas  and  Senecas.  Rev. 
Samuel  Kirk  wood  was  despatched  to 
these  tribes  to  inform  them  what  had 
been  done  aud  to  prepare  the  way  for  a 
council. 

Seth  Reed  and  Peter  Ryckermau  who 
were  both  noted  Indian  traders  located 
at  the  Indian  villige  of  Knnadessga 
were  engaged  to  aid  in  getting  ibe 
attendance  of  the  Indians  at  All)any. 
Both  of  these  tradirs  were  committed  to 
the  interests  of  the  lessees, the  lands  and 
set  off  to  them  by  the  stale  commis- 
sioners in  this  treaty  which  they  aided 
n  securing  will  show  how  they  came 
to  change  their  minds.  Reed  and 
Ryckerman  responded  as  soon  after 
thessi  arrangements  had  been  completed 
as  possible.  First  sending  James 
Manning  Reed  to  Albany  with  a  letter 
saying  that  they  would  be  in  Albany 
the  latter  part  of  January  with  tlie 
Indians  and  adding  that  the  lessees  kept 
tho  Indians  so  continually  intoxicated 
with  liquor  thht  it  is  iu)p')ssible  to  do 
anj'tlnng  with  them.  It  was  not  un- 
til February  1889  that  Ryckerman  was 
abl(i  to  collect  a  sufficient  nnnd>er  of 
Indians  and  reach  Albany. 

The  council  was  accordingly  opened 
on  the  19th  with  the  Cayugas  and 
some     Ouondagas    aud  Ooeidas   being 


39 


also  present.  None  of  tl;e  prouiincnt 
Cayugas  either  sachems  or  warriors 
were  present.  A  C"nverletl  Ciiyuga 
liulirin  known  as  Go'Jtl  Poti-r  or  Dom- 
inic I'eter  was  the  priucipal  speak'.^r 
for  tlie  Cnyugas.  Present  at  the  coun- 
cil was  a  eonsideia''le  number  of  their 
womt  n  wliom  Good  I'v-ter  called 
governessts  and  of  whom  he  s;iid, 
"Our  ancestors  considtir  it  a  great 
transgression  to  neg'eot  tlie  council  of 
the  women,  pariiculariy  the  gov- 
erni.>i^ses  whom  thi^y  eoi.'silcr  the  miri- 
tresses  of  the  soil.  They  said,  who 
brouj;ht  us  fortli?  Who  cultivaie  our 
land-?  \Yho  kindle  our  flres  and  boil 
our  [);)ts  but  the  women? 

On  the  2uih  of  February,  1789,  the 
tre.'»ty  of  Albany  was  couuIu*led.  In 
the  first  two  clauses  of  this  treaty  they 
ceded  and  grant  d  to  the  Stale  of 
New  York  forever  all  their  lands  ex- 
cept the  east  and  west  Cayuga  Keser- 
vatimis  cou'aining  one  hundred 
square  mile?,  exjlusive  of  the  waters 
ot"Ca\ug!i  lake  r-iid  the  place  cHl'ed 
Skayes  on  the  Seneca  River  and  a 
compe'ant  piece  of  land  on  ih.9  south 
side  of  faid  river  at  the  said  place 
sufficient  for  the  said  C'lyugas  to  land 
and  t  ncaiup  on  and  cure  their  ee's. 

The  third  clause  gives  the   Cayugas 

and  their    posterity  fcrevcr   the    rigiit 

of  hunting   in  every  part  of  said  ceded 

land   and  of  fishing   in  ail    thu    waters 

within  the  same. 

The  fourth  clause  names  the  con- 
sideration on  the  part  of  the  state 
which  was  $5,000  in  silver  (ihe  re- 
ceipt whereof  the  Cayugas  do  hereby 
acknowledge)  and  a  further  payment 
the  following  June  1st  at  Fort  Schuyler 
of  $1625  00  and  an  auiiuity  of  $500 
per  year.  The  state  settles  with  r.'tcu" 
Ryckerman  in  the  same  clause  for  his 
share  in  procuring  the  treaty  by  pay- 
ing him  out  of  lands  set  aside  for  the 
CayugHS  as  per  the  following  clause — 
and  as  a  further  consideration  to  the 
Cayugas  the  people  of  the  State  of 
New  York  shall  grant  to  their  adopted 
child,  Ptter  Ryckerman  whom  they 
have  expressed  a  desire  shall  reside 
near  them,  to  assist  th'-m  and  as  a 
benevolence  from  them  the  Cayugas 
to    him    and    in    return    for  services 


rendered  by  him  to  their  nation,  the 
said  tract  of  on«  mile  square  at  the 
Cayuga  Ferry,  cxct-pted  out  of  gaid 
lands  reserved  to  tiie  Ca\ugas  for  their 
own  utQ  &uCi  cultivation.  R'.el;erman 
was  also  granted  in  the  fourth  clause  of 
the  treaty  16,000  acres  of  land  ad- 
joining and  on  thij  we?t  side  of  Seneca 
Lake,  surrounding  a  house  lately 
ercotcdnnd  now  in  Oocnpatiou  by  the 
said  Toter  Ryckerman.  There  is  ex- 
ccpted  out  of  this  370  acr'S  which 
were  granted  to  a  white  man  who  mar- 
ried a  daughter  of  a  Cayuga  named 
Thynovvas.  It  was  Ryckerman's  en- 
deavor to  beat  his  partner  out  of  any 
participation  in  this  land  that  has 
placed  so  many  documents  on  tile  at 
Albany  and  given  so  much  light  on 
this  tieaty. 

The  closing  four  lines  of  this  treaty 
were  evidently  added  to  mollify  if 
possible  soi;!Owhat  the  known  hostdity 
of  O  ia-geght  to  releai-ing  any  of  the 
lands  of  the  Cayugas  to  the  st'ite.  They 
read  as  followa.  Notwithstanding  the 
said  reservation  herein  above  specified, 
to  the  (Jayugas,  h  is  doolnred  to  bn  the 
intent  of  the  parties  thit  the  Cayuga 
called  the  Fish  Cirri-r  shall  have  a 
mile  s^^qiiare  of  the  said  reseived  lands 
for  the  separate  use  of  himself  and 
his  family  forever. 

The  signatures  to  the  treaty  are  re- 
markable on  the  part  of  the  red  man 
from  the  fact  that  it  is  signed  bv  but 
fourteen  Indians  and  twelve  govern- 
esses. Nine  of  those  signatures  were 
signed  by  but  one  Indian  Kan  is  ta- 
gia  whose  mirk  is  a  steel  trap.  The 
peculiar  marks  and  totems  are  inter- 
esting. B"side3  Governor  Ciinton  and 
Lieutenant  Governor  Van  Cortland  oa 
the  part  of  the  state  are  Ezra  L.  Hom- 
medien,  Abram  Ten  Brock.  John 
llathorn,  S'lmuel  Jone?,  Peter  Gans- 
voort  and  Egbert  Benson. 

There  was  great  indignation  on  the 
part  of  the  rest  of  the  Cayugas  as  soon 
as  it  was  known  that  a  treaty  had  i.cen 
entered  in'o  and  negotiated  by  so  small 
and  uninfluential  a  part  of  their  nation. 
As  soon  as  the  runner  with  the  tidings 
of  this  treaty  arrived  at  Tey  o  heyho- 
co  Is  (Buffalo  Ci'eeil)  where  quite  a 
number  of   the   Cayuga   warriors   and 


40 


chiefs  with  their  followers  were  in 
cRinp  for  the  winter  iiimieiiiNte  pre- 
parations wore  nifide  to  return  to  this 
ueiyhborhood  The  feelitii;:  was  very 
bitter  and  ranked  very  stvons  in  their 
uiiuds  that  the  Cayuiiaa  had  not  been 
treated  fair  in  the  matter  of  this  treaty. 

O-J^-f^^'fj'it  at  the  head  of  his  people 
drovH  the  surveyors  from  their  lands, 
desiroytnl  the  stakes  and  refut-ed  to  be 
oppressed.  Every  means  to  pac?ify 
him  was  without  avail.  When  the 
firsi  d'ly  of  June  caaie  it  was  felt  to  be 
a  vitfd  necessity  that  the  signatures 
of  some  of  the  more  promini^nt  war- 
riors, chiefs  and  a,"ichems  of  the  nation 
should  be  secured  to  ?ui  article  ratify- 
ing the  treaty  of  the  previous  year. 
It  seems  that  on  the  22 ad  of  June  this 
fact  was  accomplished  for  we  find  on 
that  date  the  Cayugas  had  come  for- 
ward to  Fort  S':iuwix  and  received 
their  Knnuity  nnd  also  the  further  sum 
of  o)ic  thousand  dollars  as  a  be7ievolence 
and  we  th«  said  Cayugas  in  consider 
ation  thereof  do  by  th;  se  presents  fully 
freely  and  absolutely  ratify  and  con 
firm  the  said  agreement  and  cession. 
This  was  i^igued  by  twenty  four 
Sachems,  chiefs  and  warriors  of  th^ 
Cayuga  Nation  of  Indinns.  The  first 
signature  being  O  ja  geght  alias  Fi«h 
comer,  the  next  Shogoyeghwatha  or 
Red  Jacket,  and  the  nanif^s  of  the  lead 
lug  men  of  the  Cayuga  Nation  follow, 
omong  the  leading  witnesses  was 
Joseph  Brant.  W.  L.  Stone  in  h.s 
life  of  Brant  speaks  of  him  as  having 
been  a  great  and  life  long  friend  of 
Aid  chief  of  the  Cayugas.  New  York 
refers  to  the  1789  treaty  as  having  been 
made  at  Albany  on  that  date  and  con- 
firmed by  subsequent  articles  made 
at  Fort  Stanwix,  Juno  22,  1790. 

Their  reservation  on  the  east  and 
west  shores  of  Cayuga  Lake  were  soon 
surrounded  by  settlers.  Leases  were 
made  to  the  whites  in  some  instances 
and  in  others  squatters  swarmed  in  and 
took  possession.  By  reason  of  their 
lease  of  ferry  privileges  to  John  Harris 
and  James  Bennett,  a  highway  was 
opened  which  was  travelled  by  all  who 
made  use  of  the  ferry.  There  was 
another  class,  the  felons  and  outlaws 
who  sought  refuge  there.     There  was 


a  provision  in  the  treaty  by  which  the 
state  bound  itself  to  clear  the  reser- 
vation from  intruders  on  said  reser- 
vation without  the  consent  of  the  said 
Cai  ugas  and  the  Cayugas  on  their 
part  to  the  State  in  the  apprehending 
of  intruders,  felons  and  offenders  to 
the  end  that  they  may  be  brought  to 
justice.  It  was  necessary  on  a  number 
of  occasions  for  the  state  to  summon 
a  shcrift's  posse  to  clear  and  drive  out  by 
main  force  the  intruders,  so  that  the 
Cayugas  could  retnin  and  enjoy  the 
residue  of  the  lands  that  remained  to 
them. 

The  treaty  of  1789  wis  no  sooner 
ratified  in  the  folh.iwiag  ye.ir  than  long- 
ing eye-;  wore  turned  to  the  fair  lands 
that  yet  r.^uuiiied  to  the  Cayugas,  It 
was  not  long  before  iui erected  parties 
who  afierw;irds  obtained  a  share  in  its 
distribution  began  to  talk  of — 'vs  the 
treaty  afterwards  negotiated  states — 
'•mike  the  hinds  of  the  said  ressr- 
veration  more  productive  of  annual  lu- 
cerne to  the  Ciyugas,''  It  was  not 
until  July  27,  1795  that  comtnissiouers 
on  the  part  of  t'le  state  concluded  a 
treaty  at  the  Cayuga  Ferry  v/ hereby 
the  Cayugn  Nation  released  to  the  state 
all  their  lauds  except  two  small  reser- 
vations on  the  east  side  of  tlie  Hke. 

It  is  not  the  purpose  of  this  article 
to  go  into  the  details  of  this  treaty  as 
it  was  touched  on  in  the  article  on  the 
Eirly  Ferries  and  the  Genc'see  High, 
way,  the  Samuel  and  John  Harris  and 
two  additional  articles  entitled  the  Cay- 
uga Treaties  soon  to  appear  in  the 
Grips  llivtory.  The  negotiating  and 
concluding  of  the  treaty  met  the  deter- 
mined oppositi'm  of  O  ja  geght  and  it 
was  not  U!itil  all  of  his  followers  h;id 
been  won  over  and  he  had  stood  out 
alone  for  many  days  that  it  was  con 
sumnled.  The  mile  square  reserved 
to  O-ja-geght  in  the  1789  treaty  he 
evidently  refused  to  release  as  per  this 
clause  in  the  treaty  '<one  other  piece 
of  land  one  mi'e  square  at  'Canoga'  for 
the  use  of  an  Indian  sachem  of  the 
said  nation  called  Fish  Carrier  and  for 
the  use  of  his  posterity  forever." 

The  two  small  reserv.-itions  of  two 
miles  and  one  mile  .'^qunre  on  the  east 
side  of  Cayuga   Lake   were  by   treaty 


41 


purchased  by  the  state  on  May  30,  1807. 
The  reservation  containing  the  Indian 
sprinu:  and  villaj<e  at  CHuoga  secujed 
to  O-ja  geght  was  exchaugtd  for  an 
annuity  "f  $60  per  year.  Tins  was 
paid  to  his  heirsi  up  to  August  2.  1841 
when  by  Chapter  234  of  the  law6  of 
that  year  it  was  extinguished.  O  ja- 
gejiht  was  an  old  man  at  the  date  of 
the  1789  treaties  and  alter  the  loss  of 
eo  nuich  of  their  lani's  he  lived  must  of 
his  time  with  ihe  Mohawks  in  Canada. 
He  however  afterwards  visited  a  num- 
ber of  times  the  territoriv^s  that  for 
t'lree  centuries  !ia<1  ^^r'-n  fhe  homes  of 
his  people  He  was  jjtfent  and  signed 
the  treaty  of  1807.  Thrre  is  a  trad- 
ition that  durii)ij;ti  subsiqueut  pilgrim- 
ase  to  the  graves  y-i  Luj  people  at 
Cinoga  he  died.  The  name  and 
sach(3m3hip  is  still  kept  up  among  the 
remnants  of  t^'e  Cayuwa  Nation. 

The  Cayuga  Nation  of  Indians  were 
one  of  tho-e  composing  the  Five  Nati'ms 
After  the  adoption  of  the  Tuscaroras 
who  were  a  conquered  tribe  speaking 
a  sindlar  dialect  whom  these  nations 
f'.und  in  North  Carolina  itito  their  «'on- 
federacy  it  i)ecame  more  widely  known 
as  ttie  Six  Nations.  This  league  was 
called  l>y  tlie  French  the  Iroquois  and 
was  the  most  powerful  and  widely 
known  of  any  of  the  Indinn  tribes  on 
the  continetit  In  the  fanciful  and 
figurative  language  which  they  made 
use  of  they  termed  their  forniation  ('lo- 
di-no-san-nee,  the  long  hotise)  which 
signifies  a  long  house  having  partitions 
and  separate  fires.  This  was  the  an- 
cient way  these  people  had  of  building 
their  bark  house, s  huge  enou^jh  to  iic- 
commodate  a  numlxir  of   fannlies. 

The  home  dotnains  of  the  Six 
Nations  stretclied  the  entire  length  of 
the  Enqiire  state.  The  first  tire  the 
extreme  western  one  was  the  Senecas. 
They  wen;  known  as  the  hill  people 
and  wtMe  the  fiercest,  the  n)"8t  pop- 
ulous and  furnished  the  most  wa'riora 
and  warchiefs.  They  were  designated 
as  the  keepers  of  tlie  western  gate. 
The  fifth  fire  at  the  enst  end  was  the 
Mohawks  and  they  were  the  guardians 
of  the  eastern  door.  On  this  tribe  de- 
volved the  naming  of  a  warohief  and 
the  collection  of  tribute  was  one  of  their 


duties.  The  third  fire  was  the  great 
council  tire  of  the  Six  Nations  and  was 
in  charge  of  the  Onondagas.  The 
council  tire  was  put  out  when  the  On- 
ondaga council  house  was  destroyed  by 
Count  Frontenac  in  1696.  It  was  again 
put  out  in  the  spring  of  1777  and  again 
for  the  last  time  in  1779.  It  was  never 
afterwares  relighted  in  the  old  place  in 
ttie  council  town.  Of  the  fifty  sachems 
who  governed  the  civic  aflaire  of  the 
Six  Nations,  fourteen  belonged  to  the 
Onoudagas.  The  head  or  chief  sachem 
was  with  them  the  name  To  do-do-ho 
and  the  title  going  with  the  office,  also 
the  Ho-no-we-na-to  or  national  wam- 
pum keeper  was  an  hereditary  oflSce 
that  was  confined  to  the  Onondagas. 
The  wampum  represented  the  history 
of  the  nations  wtuch  was  talked  into 
it. 

One  of  the  intere-'ting  features  at 
the  unveiling  of  the  Red  Jacket  Monu- 
ment at  Canoga  on  O^'tober  14,  1891, 
was  the  presence  of  Chief  Sachem 
Skanawati  the  otficial  keeper  of  the 
wampum  belts  or  records.  He  exhib- 
ited a  large  wampum  belt  and  ex- 
plained its  use  and  the  manner  of  keep- 
ing the  records  of  the  Confederacy. 

Tlie  second  hre  was  that  of  the  Cay- 
ugas.  They  were  the  custodians  of 
the  Ah-8o  qna-ta,  the  peace  pipe  The 
Cayugas  were  designed  at  the  council 
fires  as  the  So-mns-ho-gwa  to-war 
which  signifies  the  gr'at  pipe.  In 
addition  to  the  apple  and  peach  orchards 
and  clearings  of  corn  were  large 
fields  of  cultivated  tobacco  suriound- 
iug  the  Cayuga  castles  or  settlements. 
It  was  their  right  to  apply  the  lighted 
brand  from  the  couu'ii  fire  to  the  cal- 
umet at  the  national  council.  The 
smoking  of  the  peace  pipe  and  the 
passing  of  it  around  the  circle  from 
hand  to  hand  was  the  preliminary  or 
formal  method  of  opening  all  councils. 
In  the  general  council  it  went  first  to 
the  Onondagas  and  came  around  to 
the  Cayugas  last  in  whose  keejiing  it 
remained  until  the  next  council.  The 
rudely  drawn  tigure  of  a  calumet  placed 
opposite  the  names  of  their  chiefs  was 
their  official  signature  and  it  was  their 
totam  and  their  insignia  as  a  nation. 

Upon  one  side   of   the   council  fire 


42 


were  hung  the  Onondagas,  Seneca  and 
Mohawks  for  tbey  were  the  fathers  of 
the  league,  on  the  other  side  were  the 
Cayugas,  Oneidas  and  Tuacaroras  for 
they  were  brothers  but  children  of 
the  first  three.  The  Cayugas  were 
formerly  a  part  of  the  Seneca  nation  at 
some  remote  time  in  the  dim  recesses 
of  tradition  in  which  the  early  trail  of 
the  Cayugas  are  lost-  When  tlJe  Seneca 
hunting  grounds  around  the  (Jenesee 
became  too  thickly  settled  for  easy 
subsistance  a  band  under  the  leadership 
of  some  favorite  chief  migrated  to  the 
outlet  of  Cayuga  lake.  In  time  they 
grew  in  numbers  and  became  distinct. 
They  were  formerly  known  under  the 
title  of  the  Gwe-u-gwek-o-no  which 
means  the  people  of  the  mucky  land. 
This  referred  to  the  Montezuma 
marshes  where  their  Mrst  settlements 
were  made.  The  Oneidas  in  a  like 
manner  were  originally  a  part  of  the 
Mohawks  and  became  a  distinct  nation 
in  a  similar  manner. 

Few  who  to-day  occupy  the  lands 
that  formerly  belonged  to  the  Six 
Nations  realize  the  extent  to  which 
they  carried  their  conquests  outside  of 
their  home  territories.  The  limits  of 
this  paper  will  admit  of  but  one  ex- 
tract or  two  from  well  known  writers. 

Morgan  in  his  league  of  the  Iroquois 
gays,  ''No  frightful  solitude  in  the 
wilderness,  no  impregnable  I'eoess  in 
the  frozen  north  was  proof  against 
their  courage  and  daring.  By  the 
year  1700  they  hnd  subdued  and  held 
in  subjection  all  the  principal  nations 
which  occupied  the  States  of  New  York, 
Delaware,  Maryland,  New  Jersey, 
Pennsylania,  Virginia,  Ohio,  Ken- 
tucky, Northern  Tennessee,  Iliinoi«, 
Indiana,  Michigan,  a  portion  of  the 
New  England  states  and  a  principal 
part  of  Canada.  Over  these  nations 
the  haughty  and  imperious  Iroquois 
exercised  a  constant  supervision. 

Cbauncey  M.  Depew  in  his  centen- 
nial address  at  the  hundredth  anniver- 
sary of  the  State  of  New  York  referred 
to  this  incident.  A  tribe  of  Manhat- 
tans had  sold  some  of  their  lands  to 
the  white  settlers  without  the  consent 
of|the  Iroquois,  this  was  contrary  to 
their  agreement.       A    single  Mohawk 


warrior  was  sent  as  an  envoy  to  attend 
to  it.  Summoning  the  offending  tribe 
to  a  council  he  asked  to  have  the  Chief 
that  was  responsible  for  the  transaction 
pointed  out  to  hira.  He  thereupon 
buried  his  tomahawk  in  his  brain 
scalped  him  and  hanging  his  still  bleed- 
ing scalp  to  his  girdle  strode  out  from 
the  terrified  and  submissive  assembly." 
DeWitt  Clinton  says  of  them,  "They 
were  the  Romans  of  the  west.  Their 
conquests  if  we  consider  their  numbers 
and  circumstances  were  not  inferior  to 
that  of  Rome  itself.  They  ran  in  con- 
qnest  further  than  the  Greek  arms  ever 
carried  and  to  distances  which  Rome 
surpissed  only  in  the  days  of  its  cul- 
minating glory- 
On  November  6.  1768  the  boundary 
"iMine  between  the  Six  Nations  and  the 
'  State  of  New  York,  New  Jersey, 
Pennsylvania,  and  Virginia  was  fixed 
by  a  treaty  at  Fort  Stanwix  between 
the  officials  of  these  states  and  the  Six 
Nations,  on  behalf  of  ourselves  and 
of  our  several  dependent  nations.  The 
Cayugas  signed  by  their  seal  or  totura 
the  crude  drawing  or  picture  of  a  cal- 
umet. 

The  Cayugas  though  situated  far 
inland  were  so  favored  by  nature  that 
they  could  by  several  water  routes 
that  centered  in  their  territories 
quickly  assemble  and  go  forward  on 
the  warpath  in  any  direction.  Their 
remote, secluded  territories  on  the  other 
hand  in  the  midst  of  a  stupendous  for- 
est scenery  would  seem  to  be  the  ori- 
ginal abode  of  sylvan  happiness. 
Their  principal  villages,  settlements 
and  encampments  were  on  both  sides 
of  Cayuga  lake.  At  the  Canoga 
Springs  was  their  village  of  the  name 
Ca-no  geh  signifing,  oil  on  the  waters. 
The  Spring  was  considered  by  the  In- 
dians to  be  possessed  of  medicine  prop- 
eries  and  capable  of  driving  away  cer- 
tain evil  spirits  that  brought  disease. 
Red  Jacket  was  born  near  this  spring 
somewhere  about  the  year  1750.  His 
mother  was  a  Cayuga.  The  order  of 
descent  in  Indian  lineage  was  through 
the  female  line  and  although  the  father 
was  a  Seneca  the  sou  of  the  mother 
was  a  Cayuga.  You  will  find  his 
name  sigued  to   most  of  the  Cayuga 


43 


treaties.  His  title  to  the  wolf  clan  was 
from  his  mother  and  though  called  by 
some  writers  a  prince  of  the  turtle 
clan  because  his  father  was  of  that 
clan,  an  Indian  would  never  call  him 
so.  In  the  mile  square  reserved  to  O- 
ja  geght  were  a  number  of  their  burial 
places.  The  Indian  has  always  had  a 
great  veneration  for  the  graves  of  his 
fathers  and  it  was  a  reproach  to  the 
Cayugas  that  they  did  not  I'etain  even 
a  place  to  bury  their  dead. 

Another  village  of  the  Cayugas  was 
Ge  wa-ga  means  a  promintory  running 
out.  It  was  on  the  other  side  of  the 
lake  near  Union  Springs  A  little 
further  south  was  their  principal  vil- 
lage where  the  council  house  of  the 
Cayuga  Nation  was  situated,  Ga-ya- 
ga  an'  ha  which  means  inclining  down- 
ward. It  is  said  it  refers  to  the  re- 
flection of  heaven's  dome  in  the  waters, 
another  Indian  word  more  fully  ex- 
pressing it  being  Ga  o  ya-di-o,  where 
the  heavens  rest  upon  the  earth.  On 
the  site  of  Ithaca  was  Ne-o  dak  heat 
meaning  at  the  end  of  the  lake. 
Wbere  Auroi'a  is  situated  was  De  a- 
wen  dote,  constant  dawn.  The  Cay- 
ugas  were  the  keepers  of  the  southern 
gate  of  the  Confederacy,  a  place  where 
all  the  rivers  and  trails  came  together 
Ta-  yo  ga,  at  the  forks.  These  names 
show  that  the  Cay  ugas  were  not  in- 
sensible to  their  beautiful  surround- 
ings. 

Their  name  for  the  Seneca  River 
was  Swa-geb,  flowing  away.  This  was 
the  name  of  the  river  from  Seneca 
lake  until  it  empied  into  Lake  On 
tario.  Coming  up  the  river  however  it 
was  the  Onondaga  until  Onondaga 
lake  was  passed  Cayuga  river  until 
Cayuga  lake  was  passed  and  then 
Seneca  Kiver  This  point  on  the  Sen- 
eca river  where  we  are  gathered  to- 
night was  the  carrying  place  or  por- 
tage. It  marked  the  somewhat  elastic 
boundaries  between  the  Cayugas  and 
Senecas.  The  site  of  Seneca  Falls 
was  called  Sha  sconce  which  means 
swift  flowing  or  tumbling  waters.  As 
the  principal  trail  of  the  Six  Nations 
also  ran  east  and  west  through  our 
village  it  is  probable  that  there  has 
never  been  a  time   since  the  Indians 


inhabited  this  country  that  there  has 
not  been  a  collection  of  bark  cabins, 
tepees  or  wigwams  of  this  migratory 
race  scattered  through  the  forests  on 
either  side  of  the  river  at  this  point. 
Numerous  evidences  were  found  here 
of  former  Indian  occupation. 

Scoy  yase  west  of  us  seems  to  have 
been  a  cosmopolitan  settlement  com- 
posed of  migratory  bands  contributed 
from  all  of  the  Six  Nations.  Tbese  as 
they  journeyed  east  or  west  on  the 
trail  or  canned  around  the  rapids 
pitched  their  habitation,  tarried  for 
the  fishing  or  social  interchange. 
There  was  always  as  a  consequence 
eu(!ampments  all  along  the  river. 

Here  in  this  very  heart  of  nature 
along  these  beautiful  streams  and 
around  this  land  locked  expanse  of 
mirrored  waters  dwelt  our  predecessors 
the  Cayugiis  hfippy  under  the  smile  of 
the  Great  Spirit.  The  waters  were 
tjeming  with  fish  and  the  forests  with 
game.  They  cliase  alternated  with  the 
cou.jcil.  Ho-di  09  seh  they  called 
them  which  siguihes  advising  together. 
There  was  their  local  festivals  and  ob- 
servances as  well  as  tlieir  general 
gatherings  at  the  Onondaga  council 
bouse.  ''If  for  instance  the  Cay  ugas 
lust  a  sachem  or  chief,  a  runner  was  sent 
out  with  belts  of  invitation  to  the 
achems  of  the  league  and  the  peoples 
at  large  to  assemble  around  their  coun- 
cil fire.  As  soon  as  the  runner  bad 
reacbed  the  trails  of  the  Ouondagas  it 
was  taken  up  by  them  and  circulated 
through  their  nation  and  one  of  the 
Ouondagas  fastest  ruuner  took  up  the 
message  and  passed  it  on  to  the  Oueidas 
aud  they  in  a  like  manner  to  tbe  nations 
at  tbe  east.  In  tbe  meantime  another 
Cayuga  ruuner  had  reached  Can  a 
di  sa-ga  the  chief  Seneca's  village  and 
was  it  being  circulated  ttirough  the 
Seneca's  villages  by  their  runners. 
The  belts  and  strings  of  wampum  sent 
out  conveyed  a  message.  The  name 
of  the  deceased  calls  for  a  couucil. 

The  name  and  appeal  fell  not  iu  vain 
upon  the  ears  of  tbe  Iroquois.  There 
was  a  potency  iu  the  name  itself 
which  none  could  resist.  It  pene- 
trated every  seclusion  of  ihe  forest, 
and  reached   every   Ga-no-soh  hunter 


44 


upon  the  hillside,  on  the  mnrgin  of 
the  lake,  or  in  the  deep  solitudes  of 
tlie  woods.  No  warrior,  wise  man  or 
chief  faih^d  to  hear  or  withstand  the 
call.  A  principle  within  was  addressed 
which  ever  responded,  respect  and 
veneration  for  the  sachems  of  the 
league." 

For  these  council'^,  and  the  festivities 
with  which  they  were  concludeil  the 
Ho  de  no-san-uee  ever  retained  a 
passionate  fondness.  No  inclemency  of 
season,  nor  remoteness  of  residence, 
no  frailty  of  age  of  sex  offered  im- 
possible obstruction.  To  that  hardy 
spirit  which  induced  the  Inqnois  to 
traversethe  warpaths  of  the  distant 
south  atid  west  and  to  leave  their  hunt- 
ing trailsnpon  the  Potomac  and  the 
Ohio,  the  distance  to  the  council  with- 
in their  immediate  territories  would 
present  uo  considerable  hinderances. 
From  the  Mohawk  to  the  (ienesee  they 
forsook  their  hunting  grounds  and  their 
encampments  and  put  themselves  up- 
onthe  trail  for  the  council  fire.  Old 
men  with  gray  hair  and  tottering  steps, 
young  men  in  the  vigor  of  youth,  war- 
riors inured  to  the  hardships  of  in- 
cessant strife,  children  looking  out 
upon  life  for  the  first  time  and  women 
with  their  infants  enclosed  in  the  ga- 
oo-ha,  baby^frame,  all  performed  the 
journey  with  singular  rapidity  and  en- 
durance.  From  every  side  they  bent 
their  footsteps  toward  the  council,  and 
when  the  day  arrived,  a  large  con- 
course of  warriors,  chiefs,  wise  men 
and  sachems,  from  the  most  remote 
as  well  as  the  subjacent  parts  of  their 
territory,  greeted  each  other  beside 
the  council  fire  of  the  Cayugas. 

There  was  one  pecularity  of  the 
council  only  that  the  limits  of  this 
article  will  permit  calling  attention 
to  and  that  is  the  ruling  of  the  ma- 
jority over  the  minority.  No  majority 
could  force  the  minority,  that  would 
be  the  curtailing  of  their  liberties. 
They  must  all  be,  as  they  expressed  it, 
of  one  mind,  otherwise  everything  fell 
to  the  ground.  When  the  Six  Nations 
went  into  council  in  regard  to  support- 
ing the  British  in  the  Revolution  the 
Oneidas  could  not  be  brought  to  agree 
with  the  majority.     Hence  all  were  at 


liberty  to  do  as  they  pleased.  This 
was  true  in  the  trc  aty  of  1795  ceding 
to  the  state  the  (Jaynga  Iteservation. 
Had  O  ja  geght  refused  to  go  with  the 
majority  the  treaty  could  never  have 
been  ratified. 

People  or  classes  of  people  seem  to 
leave  their  footprints  upon  the  country 
they  inhabit.  East  of  us  the  Puritans 
left  theirs,  "upon  the  stream  and  rock 
bound  coast"  where  first  they  landed. 
Nearer  the  Dutch  lef  I  theirs  about  the 
Hudson,  a  lordly  yet  a  sleepy  goiug 
region.  About  and  around  Cayuga 
Liake  has  always  reste  I  a  benign,  pas- 
toral, restful  ])reseuce.  It  breathes  of 
hospitality  and  the  open  door  of  wel- 
come. The  summer  clouds  that  curl 
like  a  halo  above  it  ever  seem  like  the 
vaporings  that  had  just  left  the  bowl 
of  the  As-o-qua-ta,  the  calumet,  the 
peace  pipe  of  the  Cayugas.  Peace 
and  sweet  content  have  ever  hemmed 
it  in. 

Thy  surface  wide,   a  glass, — transpar- 
ent bright 
The  farther  shore   like   rainbow   tips 

fades  blue 
In  tender  tints  of  a  celestial  hue 
Yon  bark  like  cockle  shell  so  frail  and 

slight 
Suspended    floats ;     blank   space    and 

brit^ht 
The   rich   toned   shadows    fashion   it 

again 
Reversed  beneath  thy  burnished  plain. 
Submerged     wide   heavens     down   so 

snowy  .white 
Draws   magnet  like     each     shade   of 

natives  soul, 
Fields   square    of    meadow,    bills   of 

mossy  turf 
The  woodland  mass,   the   tree   trunks 

gnarled  girth 
The  worlds    sharp   struggle  to   some 

selfish  goal 
Floats    oft    beyond    horizons     utmost 

knowl 
Becalmed   lies   every    joy   that   is   of 

heaven  or  earth. 
When  the  hazes  of  Indian  summer 
mantles  our  lovely  lake,  the  fair 
Cayuga  wraps  her  robe  of  royal  ty- 
rian  purple  about  her.  Its  shades 
and  tones  are  such  as  the  most  lordly 
potentate  of    the    east    might  envy. 


45 


Tlieir  insignia  tliat  the  Cayngas  ever 
kept  snspeudeil  from  tlie  ridge  pole  of 
tlieir  bark  cabins  or  linng  ever  at  lianrt 
m  the  folds  of  the  wigwam  ?till  casts 
its  spell.  Like  a  while  winged  bene- 
dic'ion  the  calumet  curls  its  incense 
above  us.  Gao-ya-de  o,  the  heavens 
rest  very  near  the  earth.  Almost  all 
we  CHii  hope  for  wlien  we  reach  that 
golden  shore  that  lies  beyond  earth's 
troubles  lies  spread  before  us  here. 
Peace  quiet  rest. 


Note — The  limits  of  this  article 
will  not  permit  of  tlie  inserting  of  a 
quantity  of  material  relating  to  0-ja- 
geght.  There  are  a  number  of  ex- 
tracts from  the  diary  of  Thomas 
Morris  (sod  of  Robert  Morris)    giving 


a  minute  description  of  some  inter- 
esting ceremonies  at  Tioga  Point,  over 
which  O  ja  geght  presided,  and  his 
(Thomas  Morri.s')  adoption  into  the 
Six  Nations,  also  to  the  delegates  of 
the  fifty  chiefs  of  the  Iroquois  to 
Philadelphia  at  the  instance  of  George 
Washington  and  their  subsequent  con- 
ference with  O-ji-geght  at  Buffalo 
Creek;  all  pointing  to  the  great  in- 
fluence exercised  by  him  over  the 
councils  of  the  Six  Nations,  neither 
can  any  reference  be  made  to  Logan 
and  other  influential  chiefs  of  the 
Cayugas  without  making  the  article 
too  voluminous. 


[L.S.] 


The  Seneca  Falls  Fire  Department 


BY  MAJ.  PRYCE  W.  BAILEY. 


Although  the  village  of  Seneca  Falls 
was  incorporated  April  22,  1831,  there 
are  lio  records  obtainable  of  the  trau- 
eacliou  of  any  business  under  that  act 
until  the  year  1837. 

Previous  to  1832  it  is  presumable 
that  the  fire  protectiou  of  the  village 
consisted  wholly  of  the  tiucket  brigade. 
Sometime  in  that  year,  according  to 
ttie  memory  ol:  our  oldest  fireman, 
Mr.  James  Sanderson,  the  reliance  on 
the  bucket  only  was,  as  decided  by  a 
few  of  the  energetic  citizens  of  that 
day,  an  ineflective  fire  department  for 
such  a  thriving  community  as  Seneca 
talis.  So  a  few  of  these  up-to-date 
young  men  managed  to  procure  from 
somewhere  an  engine  of  a  very  prim- 
itive sort,  as  measured  by  the  seeming 
perfect  engines  of  this  day,  no  more  so, 
perhaps,  than  ours  will  appear  to  our 
successors  seventy  years  hence. 

This  engine  was  a  square  box  with, 
what  appears  to  have  been  from  the 
description,  a  x'otary  action  pump  set 
inside  it,  and  from  which  a  shaft  ex- 
tended outward  to  each  side  of  the  box  ; 
windlass  cranks  were  attached  which 
were  operated  by  the  firemen.  The 
I'ising  main  of  the  pump  was  a  flexible 
leather  tube  with  a  nuzzle  on  the  top 
end.  The  captain  stood  on  the  box 
and  directed  the  stream  toward  the 
fire.  The  water  was  carried  to  the 
machine  by  the  bucket  men,  or  women  ; 
the  box  being  filled,  the  ci-ank  men 
would  pump  until  it  was  emptied,  and 
rest  while  it  was  again  being  filled. 
This  operation  was  repeated  until  the 
emergency  was  passed  by  the  complete 
consumption  of  the   structure. 

The  oflicers  of  this  fiie  company  were 
Captain,  Henry  VVolsey  ;  Lieut.  Charles 
L  Hoskins,  brother-in-law  to  the 
Captain  and  father  of  Mr.  L.  S.  Hos- 
kins: Dr.  Thomas  Swaby,  a  brother  of 
the  late  Dr.  W.  A.  Swaby,  was  a  mem 
ber,    A.    N.    Beardsley    was    also    a 


member.  As  a  matter  of  note  there 
were  no  "city  fathers"  to  provide  a 
home  for,  this  powerful  engine,  so  it 
was,  that,  after  the  fire  had  consumed 
all  property  within  reach  and  the  fire- 
men had  patted  each  other  on  the  back 
in  congratulation  over  the  excellent 
service  each  had  done  and  the  bucket 
brigade  weary  with  their  exertions, 
all  repaired  to  their  homes  leaving  the 
engine  where  it  was  last  used.  Per- 
haps on  the  following  day  a  fireman 
more  interested  in  the  machine  than 
were  his  fellows,  and  possibly,  with 
more  time  than  they,  would  drag  it 
into  some  backyard,  there  to  remain 
until  again  wanted  to  frighten  a  fire 
and  kindle  enthusiasm. 

All  freeholders  were,  by  law,  re- 
quired to  keep  on  hand,  for  fire  uses, 
a  number  of  leather  or  wooden  buckets, 
proportionate  to  their  assessment  on 
the  tax  roll,  and  on  an  alarm  being 
rung  were  to  report  at  the  fire  with 
them  whether  in  day  or  night.  At 
the  fire  two  lines  were  formed,  one,  the 
males,  to  pass  up  the  buckets,  tne  other, 
the  females  to  pass  back  the  empty  ones 
to  be  again  filled  from  the  river,  wells 
or  cisterns  as  the  case  required. 

On  the  south  side  of  Fall  street 
there  were  a  number  of  residences, 
where  now  is  the  block  of  stores;  these 
were  lower  down  than  the  present 
sidewalk  line,  and  their  sole  water 
supply  for  all  uses  was  the  river;  the 
water  was  drawn  up  by  rope,  bucket 
and  windlass  For  the  north  side  of 
the  river,  both  business  and  residential 
part,  this  was  the  source  from  which 
water  for  fire  protection  was  obtained. 
The  engine,  after  a  fire  on  the  noi'th 
side  of  Fall  street,  had  been  put,  by 
the  aforesaid  interested  one,  in  one  of 
the  backyards  in  the  rear  of  a  cow 
stable  and,  in  the  course  of  time  and 
the  usual  process  of  cleaning,  the  inside 
of  the  stable,  the  engine  became  com- 


47 


pletely  buried  under  a  warm  coat  of 
manure.  About  this  time,  one  boister- 
ous windy  evening  the  firemen  were 
congregat'ed  in  one  of  the  few  village 
grocery  stores,  when  one  obperved 
that  this  would  be,  or  was  a  bad  night 
for  a  fire,  and  suggested  that  it  would 
be  well  to  lo  k  for  the  engine;  when 
Dr.  Tom  Swaby  spoke  up  saying, 
<'Give  yourselves  no  uneasiness  on  that 
account  gentlemen,  for  I  already 
have  two  men  with  dung  forks  hired 
to  go,  in  case  of  fire,  and  dig  out  the 
engine  as  soon  as  the  alarm  is  given." 
With  this  assurance,  the  party  gave  no 
further  thought  to  the  tempestuous 
night  nor  to  the  possibility  of  danger 
arising  therefrom.  This  state  of  fire 
department  affairs  presumably  con- 
tinued for  the  following  four  years. 

The  charter  adopted  by  the  Board  of 
Trustees  in  January  of  the  year  1837, 
provides  for  the  organization  of  a  fire 
department.  Article  53  of  that  instru- 
ment authorizes  the  Board  of  Trustees 
to  require  the  inhabitants  of  the  village 
to  provide  and  keep  ready  for  instant 
use  a  specified  number  of  fire  buckets. 

Art.  64  says  that  the  board  shall  pro- 
cure fire  engines  and  other  apparatus 
for  the  extinguishment  of  fires  and 
provide  fit  and  secure  houses  and  other 
places  for  keeping  and  preserving  the 
same;  and  they  shall  have  power  to 
organize  tire,  hook,  hose,  ladder  and 
axe  companies;  to  appoint  during 
their  pleasure,  a  chief  engineer,  and 
two  assistant  engineers  of  '>e  depart- 
ment, and  a  competent  number  of  able 
and  reputable  inhabitants  of  said  vil- 
lage firemen  to  take  the  care  and  man- 
agement of  the  engines  and  other  ap- 
paratus and  impleujents  used  or  pro- 
vided for  the  extinguishment  of  fires; 
also  to  make  rules  and  regulations  for 
their  government;  and  to  impose  such 
reasonable  fines  and  forfeitures  upon 
said  firemen  for  a  violation  of  the  game 
as  they  may  deem  proper;  and,  for  in- 
capacity, neglect  of  duty  or  misconduct 
to  remove  them  and  apprtint  others  in 
their  place. 

Art.  56,  Every  fireman  who  shall 
have  faithfully  served  as  such,  in  said 
village  including  as  well  as  any  period 
before,  as  after  the    passage   of  this 


act.  ten  c^^nsecutive  years,  shall  be 
hereafter  exempt  from  serving  in  the 
militia,  except  in  case  of  war,  invasion 
or  insurrection  ;  and  the  evidence  to 
entitle  such  person  to  the  exemption, 
as  provided  in  this  section,  shall  be  a 
certificate  under  the  corpor»te  seal 
signed  by  the  president  and   clerk. 

In  July  1837.  the  board  authorized 
and  accepted  the  organization  of  Fire 
Eiigme  Co.  No.  2,  to  consist  of  forty 
able  and  respectable  men  and  by  resol- 
ution appointed  William  H.  Arn'^tt, 
foreman,  and  Charles  L  Ho'^kins, 
clerk,  the  following  named  persons 
were  chosen  firemen :  James  B  G- 
Downes,  John  W.  Dickinson,  Willinra 
R.  Goetcbins,  John  T.  Andrews,  W.  A. 
Sacket,  H''nry  Hayden  and  Edwin  M. 
Conklin.  These  eonstituted  the  nucleus 
of  a  laree  and  eflSoient  fire  company 
not  No.  2  Engine  Co.  only,  but  also  of 
the  present  splendidly  equipped  de- 
partment of  our  village. 

The  intended  organization  of  a  large 
department  was  clearly  indicated  in 
the  ailopting  of  the  articles  of  the 
charter,  in  the  appointment  of  a  chief 
engineer  and  ai^sistants  and  defining 
their  duties,  specifying  the  time  for 
the  elec'ion  of  company  officers,  plac- 
ing the  companies  under  the  command 
of  forfm^n  and  providing  for  the  sn- 
pression  ot  insubordination  by  the  im- 
position of  a  fine  of  eight  shillines  for 
each  offense  reported  to  the  board  by 
the  chief. 

'<Sextons  of  churches  and  watchmen 
of  shops  were  appointed  firemen,  who 
when  a  fire  occurs,  to  repair  with  all 
haste  to  the  churches  and  •'hops  and 
dilifrentiv  rin-j  the  bel's  thereof  until 
the  danger  is  passed."  Six  persons 
from  the  firemen  shall  be  appointed 
Axe  Men,  lo  take  charge  of  the  axes, 
and,  on  presentation  of  a  eertificate  of 
the  foreman  to  the  eflTect  that  they 
have  good  axes,  the  board  shall  pay 
each  man  twelve  shillings  They  are 
to  attend  at  all  fires  with  their  axes 
and  shall,  be  under  the  direction  of 
the  trustees  and  fire  wardens,  or  any 
three  of  them,  Th'y  shall  cut  down 
and  remove  any  building,  erection  or 
fence  for  the  chfcking  of  the  progress 
of  the  fire.     Any  axe  men   failing  to 


48 


attend  with  his  axe  or  refusing  to 
o'oey  the  orders  of  the  officers  in  coni- 
ninnd  shnll  pay  a  fine  ot  f  1  00,  Axe 
men  are  j-x^uiipt  from  cleaning  com- 
mitt"e  antl  workinfr  on  engines. 

A  further  rxpansiou  ot  the  defiart- 
m^^n;  was  btgun  by  the  board  in  183S, 
to  the  extent  of  detailing  a  sutiicb  nt 
nuniber  of  men  from  among  ihe  fire- 
men to  take  tht  care  and  m;inai:ern'.ut 
of  the  hoolis.  ladders  and  inipUnn'  nts 
for  aiding  in  the  extingiiisimient  of 
fires.  They  shall  be  exempt  from 
Other  fire  duties  but  shall  be  under 
the  command  of  a  foreman.  The 
above  implements  are  to  be  kept  in  a 
secure  place  designated  by  the  pre^i 
d«^nt,  and  shall  be  inspected  once  each 
month  by  the  chief  engineer 

The  oomp'inies  as  above  designaied 
shall  be  known  as  Hook  &  Ladder 
Co.  No.  1,  Axe  Co.  N').  1,  Engine 
Co.  No.  2.  All  compaides  hereafter 
orgsnized  shall  take  numbers  next 
above  in  their  order. 

All  citizens,  when  a  fire  occurs  in 
the  night,  are  ord'^ed  to  place  a 
lighted  caudle  at  the  front  di-or  or 
window  of  their  residencen.  where  it 
shall  remain  until  the  lire  is  ex- 
tiniLHiished  and  the  firemen  return. 
Any  person  who  may  repair  to  a 
fire,  shall  be  obedient  to  the  orders  of 
the  chief  engineer  in  the  extiiiguisfc- 
ment  of  fires  and  removal  r.f  goods. 
A  r(  fusal  to  obey  will  be  punish,  d  by 
the  impnsuion  of  a  tine  of  five  dollars 
(.f  5.00_) . 

At  fires  a  trustee  shall  wear  n  white 
hand  on  his  hat.  The  ehii-f  criyineer 
shall  wear  a  lerdher  cap  pain'ed  white, 
with  a  gdded  front  and  (he  word 
'  (Jhief"  painted  (hereon.  He  shall 
also  carry  a  spenknig  trumpet  paiut.-d 
black,  with  "Chief"  painted  in  white 
therenn. 

A  foreman  of  au  Engine  Co.  when 
on  duty  shall  wear  a  black  father  cap 
with  white  front  piece  with  Ihn  word 
"Foreman"  and  nunibt  r  of  engine 
painted  in  blnck  thereon. 

A  foren)an  of  the  H.  and  L  Co.  shall 

wear  a  cap    like    that    pres(!ribed    for 

engine  foreman,  with  number  of   com- 

pany  and  his  iiuiials  on  front  piece. 

A  foreman  or  a  hose   company  shall 


wear  a  cap  like  that  prescribed  for   H. 
&  L  foreman. 

A  forera'^n  of  the  axe  company  eh'dl 
wear  a  c'lp  like  that  prescribed  for  H. 
&  L,  foreman  except  that  an  axe  sh;id 
b.'  painted  in  black  on  the  trout  piece. 
It  is  made  a  duty  of  the  clif't  to  report 
all  viiilaliuns  uf  thes.;  ordinances  lo  the 
Board  ot  Trustees 

Constables  are  required  to  watch 
out  for  tires  and  lo  give  alarms, 
keep  the  street  numbers  of  the  chiefs 
and  their  asstiatauts  couspieiously  posted 
in  the  tvatch  house;  and  wdeu  an  al»rm 
13  sound- d  uotity  theiie  persons  at  once; 
al'^o  to  watch  the  prendses  after  the 
engines  nave  returned  to  their  houses 
after  ttie  fire  is  distinguished. 

By  resolution  of  the  buaid,  George 
H.  Mc'lary  was  appciuted  chief  en- 
gineer in  the  }ear  1827.  Mr  IMeClary 
who  had  ihe  honor  ot  the  first  appoint- 
m'  nt  as  chief  was  a  noted  manufacturer 
of  that  day  and  owned  and  conducted  a 
foundry  and  mnchine  shop  on  the  pro- 
petty  now  occnpi'.d  by  the  In.^ersoll 
paoer  mill. 

I  he  No.  2  engine  was  purchased 
from  Lewis  Seelye,  a  builder  of  these 
goods  at  lioohester,  N.  Y.  The  engine, 
Hiiok  &  Ladder,  Axe  a'ld  Hohh  com- 
panies were  housed  on  a  lot  owned  by 
Anse)  Ba^com,  situated  between  the 
kjeiieea  House  and  the  ravine  on  Hiyard 
street  (opposite  the  present  house  of 
No.  3  steauier.)  Mr.  Biscooi  stipu- 
lated that  the  house  was  to  Ite  movtd 
ctl"  if  Die  lot  bl-.ould  bn  sold. 

Ansel  N.  Beardsley  was  appointed 
foreman  of  the  combined  II.  &  L  and 
Axe  eoisipauies  in  August,  18o7.  One 
uionlh  later  Silas  Hewitt  was  nmde  a 
fireman  and  appoinled  foreman  of  the 
above  combiiintion,  vice  Beardsley,  de- 
clined, louring  tue  year  1837.  the  fnl- 
lowiug  named  were  appointed  fitemeu 
and  attached  to  No.  2  Engine  company. 
J'UUt  s  A  Adair,  Joshua  M'srtin,  Geo. 
Edeou,  J.ihn  Kiu  rr,  Williatn  P  I'odard, 
Charles  Lowry.  Frank  1'.  Lath-'im, 
J.icob  Clerk,  H.  C.  Silstiy,  .Siepht-n 
Bishop,  William  L  McKee,  Joh>i  H, 
Wheeler.  O.  A.  Campbell,  C-  S,  Hos- 
kins,  O.  C.  Watson,  H.  O  Clark, 
George  Hockuell,  Ira  A.  MeB  un,  a\. 
fred  6.  Miller,  J.  B    Johusun,    George 


49 


Steelier,  Jacob  H.  Corl,  George  Hall, 
John  Ci-osset,  W.  S.  Fin  ley,  P.  Van 
Ness,  Ira  Stockman,  Seth  A.  Thomas, 
Richard  Slradder,  E.  J.  Thomas,  S.  B, 
Westcott. 

In  June  1838.  the  Captain  of  No.  2 
was  authorized  to  procure  a  hose  cart 
for  his  CO  in  pan}' ;  this  is  the  first  men- 
tion of  a  vehicle  fur  this  purpose. 
The  small  quantity  of  hose  that  had 
been  m  use  was  carried  on  the  engine ; 
but  when  Captain  Arnett  was  ordered 
to  purchase  150  feet  i)f  new  hose  at  a 
price  not  to  exceed  $180,  it  became 
necessary  to  have  a  more  convenient 
place  than  the  deck  of  the  engine  to 
carry  it- 

In  order  to  meet  the  expense  of  this 
unusual  increase  of  the  department  the 
following  gentlemen  advanced  $10.50 
each:  Ebenezer  Ingalls,  William  H. 
King,  Silas  Keeler,  Henry  Wolsey, 
C.  L.  Hoskins,  William  L.  Gaylord, 
J.  Bennett  &  Co.,  Edward  S.  Latham, 
Shelton  Wood,  Mathias  B.  Bellows, 
John  S.  Gay,  Garrett  V.  Sacket  They 
were  reimbursed  with  interest 

The  hose  cart  was  made  by  Van 
Ness  &  Willet  at  a  cost  of  $34.00. 
The  tax  budget  for  this  year  has  an 
item  of  $100.00  to  be  raised  for  the 
improvement  of  the  tire  department. 

In  March  of  this  year  George  H. 
McClary  was  removed  from  the  posi- 
tion of  chief  engineer  and  Edward  S. 
Latham  was  appointed  to  the  vaeancy. 
In  July,  1839,  Samuel  lleeve,  W.  li 
Lathrop,  William  Cain,  Henry  Sey- 
mour, Obadiah  Latham,  W.  P.  Gay- 
lojd,  D.  Sacket,  were  appointed  fire- 
men of  No.  2  Engine  Co. 

In  September  a  motion  prevailed  in 
the  board  of  trustees  to  disband  the 
H.  &  L.  Co.  until  suitable  and  proper 
apparatus  is  obtained,  and  George 
lioeknell  was  appointed  and  author- 
ized to  procure  proper  implemeuts  for 
the  company.  They  seem  to  have 
been  procured  by  Henry  Hockncll  at  a 
billed  cost  of  $23.69. 

Ira  Stowell  was  appointed  to  the 
H.  &  L.  Co.  and  Wm.  E.  Williams  to 
the  Engine  Co. 

The  11.  &  L.  Co.  seems  to  have  been 
a  troublesome  member  of  the  depart- 
ment from  the  day  of  its  organization. 


In  February  of  the  year  1840,  J.  S. 
Bristol  was  appointed  to  make  a 
thorough  investigation  of  the  H.  &  L. 
and  report.  His  report  was  probably 
an  oral  one,  for  in  this  same  month 
there  were  additional  bills  to  tne 
amount  of  $102.65  prenented  and  paid 
for,  on  account  of  II.  &  L.  wagon. 
Captatn  Hewitt  was  directed  to  find  a 
place  to  store  the  present  unfinished 
and  imperfect  wagon  and  implements. 
In  November  of  this  year  Edward 
S.  Latham  and  George  H.  McCIary 
were  appointed  as  a  committee  to 
have  the  H.  &  L.  wagon  oompleted 
and  procure  a  house  for  it.  The  com- 
mittee did  its  work  and  the  wagon  was 
housed  near  the  Franklin  House. 

In  February  of  this  year,  1841,  the 
following  bills  were  audited  and  paid : 
Edward  S.  Latham  to  material  and 
labor,  II.  &  L.  house,  $44. 4G;  Silas 
Hewitt  to  ladder,  |3  00;  C.  D.  Myn- 
derse,  to  ropes,  etc.,  $16.88. 

In  January,  1842,  the  II  &  L.  Co. 
is  ordered  to  parade  with  its  apparatus 
on  the  first  Thursday  of  each  month, 
and  is  repuired  to  put  its  apj)aratus  ia 
good  serviceable  order  under  pain  of 
disbandment.  The  result  of  these  or- 
ders we  find  a  resolution  passed  by  the 
board  in  July,  disbamiing  the  II.  &  L. 
Co.  and  its  members  be  given  certifi- 
cates for  the  time  served. 

This  year  marks  the  extinction  of 
one  company  and  the  birth  of  another. 
On  the  25th  of  July,  1842,  Rescue  En- 
gme  Co.  No.  3  was  organized  for  the 
purpose  as  giveu  in  the  application  of 
its  officers  to  the  board  of  trustees  for 
acceptance,  '-to  aid  more  elfectually  in 
carrying  into  operation  an  act  estab- 
lishing a  tire  department  in  the  village 
of  Seneca  Falls. 

The  names  presented  to  the  board 
were  K.  G.  Noyes,  Arza  L.  Burrit. 
Jas.  Sanderson,  Jr.,  Wm.  H.  Arnett, 
C.  Kenyon,  George  R.  Chase,  W.  B. 
Maynnrd,  Charles  Platten,  John  W. 
Conklin,  David  R.  Gould,  Chas  B. 
Keeler,  Isaac  VanTassell,  Thomas 
Carr,  John  Leach,  John  C  Lace,  Geo. 
A.  VanCleef,  Wm.  Keith,  James 
Dennison,  Bayard  Miller,  Wm.  Clark, 
F.  J.  Mills,  Stephen  Baker,  Alfred 
Wood,  H.  J.  Elliot,  Wm.  Laugworthy, 


50 


Washburn  Race,  D.  C.  Bloomer,  J.  V. 
Chamberlain,  A.  E.  Chamberlain,  I. 
H.  Ariiett,  John  H.  Davis,  O.  S  Lat- 
ham, James  N.  Underhill,  H.  Quacken- 
bush,  M.  H.  Chrysler,  James  Bellows, 
D.  y.  Sacket,  John  Miller.  Claience 
Twist,  A.  K.  Townseud,  F.  F.  Carr, 
Edward  Mynderse,  David  Cole,  E.  J. 
Tyler.  Walstein  Failing.  M.  J.  Smith, 
Isaac  Pitcher,  W.  Majfary,  C.  E. 
Wheeler,  Peter  A.  D<^y,  Euo;eue  Hern- 
don,  Barney  Travis,  J.  H.  Cool,  Joseph 
Osborn,  Henry  Carpenter,  S.  U. 
WoodhuU,  Smiih  Briggs,  C.  C.  Cole- 
man, Gabriel  Scott. 

This  company  was  accepted  by  the 
board  of  trustees  and  an  engine  house 
was  established  on  Canal  street  in  the 
rear  of  the  Baptist  church.  A  little 
later  the  company  was  reorganized  and 
strengthened,  and,  hy  resolution  of  the 
board  an  ofier  of  $435  was  made  for 
the  engine  house.  The  next  move 
toward  properly  housing  the  company 
which  was  made  was  the  appointment 
of  a  committee  consisting  of  Silas 
Hewitt,  O.  S  Latham  and  J.  P.  Fair- 
child  to  select  a  prop(!r  site  for  a  house 
in  the  2nd  ward  (at  this  time  the  vil- 
lage was  divided  into  two  wards,  the 
north  side  of  the  river  being  the  1st). 
A  site  was  selected  by  this  committee 
near  the  southeast  corner  of  Bridge  and 
Bayard  streets.  A  house  was  built 
thereon,  costing  $288.  Mr.  O.  B. 
Latham  was  the  builder. 

As  before  stated,  the  engine  No.  2 
was  built  by  Lewis  Seelye  of  Roch- 
ester ;so  No. 2  wanted  a  macliine  equally 
aeggood  and,  if  possible,  a  little  better. 
So  in  May  1844  the  board  asked  for  an 
appropriation  of  $500.00  to  pay  for  a 
machine.  William  H.  King  was  ap. 
pointed,  a  committee  to  inquire  into 
the  merits  of  engines  now  made ;  after 
receiving  Mr.  King's  report,  the  presi- 
dent was  authorized  to  contract  with 
Mr.  Seelye  for  an  engine  like  that  he 
had  built  for  No.  2,  at  a  price  of  $800- 

The  chief  engineer  is  again  ordered 
to  inspect  the  H.  &  L  outfit  and  re- 
port its  condition.  In  April,  1845  is 
made  the  first  mention  of  a  reservoir, 
this  is  in  a  resolution  of  the  board  ap- 
pointing a  committee  to  notify  Mr. 
Asa  Fuller  of  the  faulty  condition   of 


the  one  built  by  him  in  the  first  ward. 
Reference  is  also  made  to  a  hydrant  at 
the  Stone  Mill  through  the  payment  of 
the  bill  of  William  Burtless  for  repair- 
ing it. 

Agam  in  June,  1845,  George  Hock- 
nell  and  J.  W.  Dickinson  are  appointed 
to  examine  the  condition  of  the  hooks, 
poles  and  ladders  of  the  H.  &  L.  outfit. 
Birdsali  Holly,  the  inventor  of  the 
elipticnl  rotary  pump  and  engine  which 
contributed  more  largely  to  making 
Seneca  Falls  a  world  wide  celebrated 
fire  apparatus  building  village,  than 
any  other  event,  was  appointed  a  fire- 
man in  September  1846. 

In  October  1847,  President  J.  K. 
Brown  and  Jr  P.  Fairchild  were  auth- 
orized by  the  board  to  purchase  a  lot 
for  No.  3  engine  house  and  to  con- 
tract  for  the  moving  of  the  house. 

At  the  annual  meeting  of  the  de- 
partment, William  H.  Arnett  w«s 
designated  chief  and  was  instructed  to 
use  his  influence  with  the  board  to  in- 
duce it  to  accept  the  H.  &  L.  Co  as  a 
member  of  the  department. 

In  May,  1848,  $40.00  was  appro- 
priated for  the  two  engine  companies, 
to  be  paid  in  quarterly  installments  of 
$5  00  to  ench  company.  It  is  to  be 
justly  presumed  that  this  pittance  was 
to  cover  the  cost  of  the  supplies   only. 

During  this  year.  No.  3  went  through 
the  process  of  reorganization  for  the 
purpose  of  weeding  out  the  worthless 
members.  The  records  show  that, 
during  the  six  years  of  its  existence,  it 
had  performed  a  deal  of  arduous  duty 
under  many  discouraging  conditions, 
such  as  non  attendance  at  the  regular 
meetings,  the  impossibility  to  collect 
tines  and  dues  from  the  negligent  and 
insubordinate  members.  So  it  was  re- 
solved to  disband  and  reorganize  under 
the  following  pledge,  to  wit,  "We  the 
undersigned  do  hereby  agree  to  live  up 
to  our  code  of  bylaws  made  for  our 
internal  government;  and  we  do  further 
pledge  ourselves  to  be  guided  by  them 
in  all  cases,  initiation,  fines,  etc,  etc, 
Thomas  Carr,  E.  Norcott,  Byron 
Beebe,  D  C.  Bloomer,  E.  J.  Tyler, 
George  Hall,  C.  C.  Brown,  James 
Bellows,  William  Wilbur,  C.  C. 
Coleaaan,  W.  H.  Foster,  Walton  Jones, 


51 


Charles  J  McKee,  James  II.  Underbill, 
George  Stevenson,  John  F.  Wheeler, 
C.  B.  Keeler,  Jr.,  H  Hadley,  ]i.  Aspell, 
Thomas  Lnsk,  T.  J.  Crosby,  William 
Crawford,  Robert  R,  Perry,  E.  Craw- 
foid,  Charles  Twist,  bamuel  A.  Steven- 
son, U.  W.  Seymour,  Henry  Bellows, 
John  Lefch,  Wiliiam  Gunn,  Bradley 
Miller,  Leonard  Egleslon,  William 
Arnett,  Walstein  Failing,  G.  R.  Cbaee, 
A   E.  Chamberlain. 

A  new  uniform  was  adopted  as  fol- 
lows: Hat  of  glazed  oil  silk,  red  flannel 
shirt,  dark  trousers  with  India  rubber 
buttons. 

No.  3's  records.  "We  were  chal- 
lenged  by  No.  2  and  we  beat  them  to 
death."  Thus  giving  evidence  of  the 
effect  of  the  recent  re-organization  and 
the  weeding  out  of  the  company  all  of 
the  unserviceable  material. 

In  April  the  taxpayers  meeting  voted 
$100  for  contingent  fund,  and  $160 
for  new  hose,  and  directed  Chief  Ar- 
nett to  sell  all  old  hose  and  apply  the 
proceeds  to  the  purchase  of  additi(>nal 
new  hose.  In  July  the  No.  3  engine 
was  moved  to  a  lot  on  Cayuga  street, 
a  part  of  the  Daniels  property,  and 
adjoining  what  is  now  Story 's  store- 
house. 

Again  in  April  of  this  year,  1850, 
an  appropriation  of  $200  is  asked  for, 
to  be  applied  to  the  purchase  of  a  new 
n.  &  L.  wagfin. 

Ttie  recently  adopted  oew  charter 
maKes  it  obligatory  for  the  chief  and 
his  assistants  to  see  that  H.  &  L.  ap- 
paratus is  always  in  order  for  instant 
use;  also  to  command  at  all  fires  until 
the  flames  are  extinguished  ;  and  they 
are  empowered  to  compel  obedience  on 
the  part  of  all  subordinate  ofiicers  on 
pain  of  suspension  of  the  oftender  and 
to  appoint  one  to  supersede  the  sus 
pended  one  and  report  his  action  to  the 
board  at  its  next  meeting. 

In  June  of  this  year  the  chief  was 
ordered  to  report  the  condition  of  No. 
3  engine,  state  its  requirements  for 
putting  it  in  good  serviceable  order; 
this  report  was  evidently  made  at  once 
because  at  ihe  next  meeting  of  the  iioard 
he  was  directed  to  send  the  suction 
hose  of  this  engine  to  New  York  to  be 
repaired.     In  August  the  suction   hose 


was  received  repaired  at  a  cost  of 
$59  75.  So  we  are  left  with  the  im- 
pression that  the  engine  was  deprived 
of  its  suction  hose  for  at  least  one 
month. 

In  March  1851,  Carlton  W.  Seeley 
was  paid  $12.50  for  barn  storage  of 
the  H.  &  L.  outht.  A  committee  con- 
sisting of  Mes.srs.  Thomas  Carr  and 
James  Bellows  made  an  oral  report  of 
the  pret^ent  condition  of  that  apparatus 
that  was  continuously  rising  to  trouble 
the  board. 

The  brothers,  Henry  and  Perry 
Stowell  were  appointed  firemen  in 
April  1851. 

In  June,  H.  W.  Seymour  and  Bellows 
were  appointed  to  inquire  into  tbe 
condition  of  the  fire  department  fund 
in  order  to  ascertain  whether  it  would 
warrant  the  purchase  of  new  hose  for 
the  engines. 

In  September  Thomas  Carr  super- 
ceded W.  II.  Arnett  as  chief  of  the 
tire  department. 

On  October  12,  1852,  the  whole  fire 
department  turned  out  to  attend  the 
funeral  of  Stilman  Brim,  a  brother  of 
A.  W.  Brim. 

In  February,  1852,  the  H.  &  L.  com- 
pany, or  rather,  the  outfit,  comes  up 
again  in  the  appointment  of  a  com- 
mittee to  ascertain  tbe  approximate  cost 
of  putting  the  implements  in  order  for 
use ;  in  response  to  the  report,  the 
committee  is  empowered  to  procure 
ropes,  etc,  and  provide  a  building  to 
keep  them  in. 

In  June.  1854  tbe  Board  of  Trustees 
relaxed  its  tight  grip  on  the  money 
bags  and  voted  the  magnificent  sum  of 
$60  for  the  proper  celebration  of  Inde- 
pendence day  by  the  fire  department 

A  special  tax  meeting  was  called  in 
this  mouth,  in  response  to  the  prayers 
of  a  largely  signed  petition, for  the  pur- 
pose of  voting  the  sum  of  $2,800  to  be 
applied  to  the  purchase  of  two  first- 
class,  12  inch  cylinder,  engines  with  all 
modern  improvements,  and  1,000  feet 
of  best  quality  hose.  As  a  matter  of 
course  the  appropriation  carried  with  a 
rush,  because,  at  about  this  time,  the 
active  rivalry  of  competing  builders  of 
fire  engines,  had  given  a  sudden  im- 
petus to  a  spirit  of  strife  for  excellence 


52 


OD  the  part  of  the  fire  companies 
throughout  the  country,  by  the  pre- 
senting of  cheap  prizes  to  be  competed 
for,  with  their  engines.  So,  the  fire- 
men of  Seneea  Falls  desired  to  be  put 
in  possession  of  nothing  short  of  the 
best,  and,  as  the  spirit  of  strife  was 
rampant,  the  companies  increased  their 
membersiiip  until  they  embraced  the 
adult  male  population  of  the  village. 

The  necessity  for  properly  organized 
and  drilled  hose  men  became  more  ap- 
parent, and  action  was  taken  by  ttie 
board  ordering  that  twenty  men  be 
detached  from  each  engine  company 
and  drilled  as  hose  men  by  a  com- 
petent officer.  This  action  of  the  au- 
thorities led  to  the  forming  of  a  hose 
company  in  April,  1864,  which  Was 
named  Yanliee  Hose  Co.  Its  first 
foreman  was  Charles  J.  Martin,  who 
held  the  position  a  short  time  and  was 
succeeded  by  William  H.  Pollard. 

In  August,  1850,  the  Continental 
Engine  Company  was  accepted  by  the 
village  and  was  designated  "Con- 
tinental No.  1."  This  company  took 
the  better  of  the  two  old  engines. 

The  two  new  engines  made  by  But- 
ton &  Co.  of  Waterford,  N.  Y.,  were 
delivered  in  August  and  were  accepted 
provided  certain  necessary  alterations 
were  made  in  them.  The  president 
was  then  authorized  to  order  from 
Button  &  Co.  two  hose  carts  at  a  price 
of  $298  for  the  two,  if  three  trumpets 
for  the  chief  and  his  assistants  could  be 
gotten  ir  the  transaction.  We  got  the 
carte. 

For  the  following  two  years  the 
trustees  were  seemingly  kept  busy  au- 
diting bills  for  alterations  and  repairs 
to  tlie  engines  and  hose  carts,  but  all 
such  bills  were  charged  to  the  account 
of  Button  &  Co.  and  were  presumably 
allowed  by  them  in  the  final  settle- 
ment. 

In  lebruary,  1856,  $100  was  voted 
for  a  reservoir  fund.  The  chief  was 
directed  to  ascertain  if  the  old  red 
storehouse  could  be  rented  for  Conti- 
nental Engine  Co.  This  company  had 
taken  the  old  engine  of  No.  2,  and  the 
president  was  requested  to  advertise 
the  No.  3  engine  as  for  sale.  In  May 
of  this  year  E.  J.  Tyler  was  ordered  to 


purchase  200  feet  of  good  hose  foi-  No. 
1  from  Button  &  Co. 

In  October  Chief  Lucius  C.  Gii)i>s, 
father  of  the  late  ex-senator  Gibb-^,  or 
dered  out  the  three  engine  comp  icit^s 
to  play  for  prizes.  At  this  hcim^ 
tournament  No.  1  captured  the  firttt 
prize  by  runnln^  wiih  their  engine 
twenty  rods,  attaching  the  suction 
hose  and  throwing  water  through  fiilty 
feet  of  hose  in  1  minute,  25  seconds. 
This  was  considered  an  excellent  ex. 
hibition  of  the  celerity  of  action  and 
perfect  drill  of  the  company. 

H.  W.  Seymour  was  appointed  chief 
vice  tribbs  who  had  left  town  in 
November.  0.a  December  28,  1855, 
the  whole  depa»'tment  turned  out  to  at- 
tend the  funeral  of  ex-chief  Gibbs, 
who  had  been  accidentally  killed  at 
Whitehall,  N.  Y. 

On  February  12,  1856,  in  tax  meet- 
ing  tbe  citizens  voted  an  appropriation 
of  $200  for  reservoirs  and  ordered  that 
two  be  built  during  tbe  year. 

In  May  of  this  year  the  old  No.  3 
engine  and  the  village  hearse  were 
put  up  at  auction  sale.  J.  H.  Cool 
bought  the  engine  at  $100.  There 
being  no  one  present  who  thought  he 
needed  a  hearse  it  was  not  sold. 

In  August,  1856,  E.  Edson  was 
awardeci  a  contract  to  build  two  reser- 
voirs at  $70  each. 

Continental  Engine  Co.  was  au- 
thorized to  have  such  alterations  made 
in  their  engine  as  will  permit  the  water 
to  be  taken  in  at  the  front  part  of  the 
machine. 

In  September,  in  preparation  for  a 
great  water  throwing  tournament,  so 
called,  the  three  engines  were  put  in 
the  best  possible  condition  at  Cowing 
&  Co.'s  works,  which  had  Mr.  H.  W. 
Seymour,  a  thorough  fireman,  as  super- 
intendent. 

Following  tbe  improvement  of  No.  1 
engine  it  became  necessary  to  increase 
its  membership  for  althoufih  the  en- 
gine was  classed  as  No.  2,  its  cylinders 
had  been  enlarged  to  such  an  extent  as 
to  be  but  1  8  inch  less  in  diameter  than 
the  first  clnss  engines,  so  the  company 
presented  to  the  trustees  for  acceptance 
the  following  list  of  names :  George 
Stevenson,    Wm.    W.    Norton,   C.   B. 


5S 


Randolph.  Charles  Parker,  J.  M.  Gil- 
ford, T.  J.  Robinson,  R.  Ritlley,  B.  F. 
Peck,  A.  S.  Auld,  Thomas  Burlnett, 
C.  B.  Brusie,  Iliraui  Alniy,  George 
Niles,  Joiin  Youngs,  Kandolpli  Irlewitt, 
John  McAithnr,  Charles  Davis,  L.  W. 
Fisher.  Win.  V.-iuKIrk,  Charles  lUiiker, 
Peter  Feeck,  jr.,  Mayuard  Slont,  Oscar 
Moore,  George  Cowing,  J.  Y.  Churc 
hill,  C.  W.  Coleman,  G.  A.  Schyler, 
William  Wilson,  Garrett  Boirart,  J.  S. 
Moore,  Lewis  Tripp,  R.  Milicr,  ilenry 
Mauwarring,  Richard  Cnrran. 

On  August  22,  1857,  it  is  recordtd 
that,  the  annual  meeting  of  the  hre 
department  was  liehi  in  iir,oi\  Tem- 
plars hall  of  the  Wooclwnrth  block, 
northeast  corner  of  Ovid  and  Bayard 
streets. 

In  April  1858,  the  No.  3  engine 
house  was  rented  to  a  Mi.'^s  Sanborn, 
to  use  as  a  school  house,  for  six 
shillings  per  week. 

An  annual  department  meeting  was 
held  in  Concert  Hall,  now  Ryan's 
furniinrH  repository,  on  August  22, 
1858,  for  the  purpose  of  selectnig  a 
chief;  because  of  some  disagreement. 
Captain  W.  R.  Goetchiiis  of  No.  2 
marched  his  men  out  of  the  ball. 
Those  remaining  elected  Jacob  11. 
Corl  to  the  position.  Corl  declined  to 
accept.  The  situation  regarding  the 
matter  was  reported  to  the  president 
who  t;ien  appointed  Edwin  J.  Tyler  to 
the  place.  Tyler  filled  the  position  for 
two  months  only  wlh  n  Simon  W.  Ar- 
nett  was  appointed  to  fill  out  the  re- 
mainder of  the  year  but  who  filled  the 
place    acceptably  until  1867. 

On  October  G.  185!),  the  department 
consisting  of  ''Continentar'  ^No.  1, 
♦<Seneea  Chief"  No.  2,  "Rescue"  No.  3 
and  Yankee  Hose  No.  1  passed  in  re- 
view before  the  president  and  clii*  f ,  and 
afterwards  gave  exliibilions  in  water 
throwing,  and  returned  to  their  quar- 
ters ;  in  the  evening  had  a  grand  torch 
light  parade. 

A  report  of  a  committee  nia<lc  to  the 
Board  of  Trustees  relative  to  the  pur- 
chase of  the  "Livery  Stable"  premises, 
which  had  been  made  by  the  board  of 
the  preceeding  year,  showed  that  a  lot 
could  be  purchased  and  a  brick  engine 
house  built  thereon  for  $800  less  than 


the  livery  stable  purchase  could  be 
fitted  up  for.  The  committee  recom- 
mended the  repudiation  of  the  pur- 
chase and  that  the  amount  now  paid 
be  cliarged  oil  to  profit  and  loss.  The 
matter  was  referred  back  to  the  com- 
mittee with  instructions  to  make  the 
best  terms  possible.  'Ihe  aflair  was 
amicably  settled  after  a  time.  The 
livery  stable  referred  to,  is  the  old 
building  on  the  east  side  of  Bridge 
street  opposite  the  Franklin  House 
barn. 

Soen  afterwards  a  lot  wag  bought 
for  $175  by  the  committee,  and  the 
foundaiion  for  the  fuiure  building,  and 
the  reservoir  25x18x5  1-2  deep  was 
coniracte:l  for  $lGy  and  the  work  ad- 
vanced with  rapidity.  On  February  5, 
1860,  Silsby,  Mynderse  &  Co.,  sub- 
mitted  to  the  trustees  a  proposal  to  fur- 
nish the  village  a  small  steam  fire 
engine,  to  be  drawn  by  men  for  the 
sum  of  $2,500  and  also  proposed  to 
furnish  an  engineer  to  run  it  at  fires, 
and  kes'p  the  engine  in  repair  for  one 
year  for  an  additional  sum  of  $150. 
Both  pr'posiiions  were  submitted  to 
the  annual  tax  meeting  whicii  was 
held  in  Mai'ch,  and  both  ibe  t)ids  were 
accepted ;  and  a  further  appriipriation  of 
$885  for  ^department  maiutainance  was 
voted.  In  May,  the  steamer  was  de- 
livered. The  trustees  ordered  that  it 
be  kept  in  the  house  of  No.  1,  and 
that  engine  companies  Nos.  1  and  3  be 
consolidated  into  one  company  of  sixty- 
seven  men ;  and  the  No.  2  engine 
offered  for  sale. 

In  November  1860.  No.  2  engine 
company  disbanded  and  gave  up  their 
engine  to  the  village  after  an  eventful 
existence  of  twenty  three  years. 

On  the  morning  of  January  21,  1861 
Captain  W.  R.  Goetchius  was  found 
drowned  in  the  Dey  race  uear  the 
present  location  of  the  Climax  Specialty 
Go's  Works  He  had  been  the  fore- 
man of  the  No.  2  engine  company  for 
eighteen  years  He  mas  n  model  fire- 
man of  those  early  days,  faithful  to 
every  trust,  loyal  to  his  cnmrades  and 
a  vigilant,  indefatigal)le  f(n"eman  who 
preferred  the  captaincy  of  his  company 
to  promotion  to  a  higher  grade  to 
which  he  had  many  times  been   urged. 


54 


In  March  of  this  year,  the  trustees 
recommended  the  appropriation  of 
$3,100  for  the  purpose  of  building  two 
engine  houses,  one  on  each  side  of  the 
river;  but  the  recommendation  was 
not  favored  by  the  taxpayers  and  it  was 
voted  down. 

In  May  1861  the  Board  of  Trustees 
resolved  to  is-sue  exemption  certificates 
to  all  firemen  who  volunteer  for  the 
war;  this  was  the  practice  for  the 
succeeding  four  years. 

In  August  IStJl,  a  compaHy  was 
organized  and  ar-cepted  under  the 
name  of  Excelsior  Hose,  No,  3.  The 
following  named  persons  cumposed  the 
company:  John  Arnett,  Theodore  Pel- 
ham,  Patrick  Burns,  Owen  Burns, 
M.  McCabe,  M.  L.  Waldo.  William 
Burns,  Michael  Knight,  D.  T.  Kneath, 
Thomas  Mackin,  Edward  Riley,  Pat- 
rick Sullivan,  R.  Sawyer,  Thomas 
Markey.  Thomas  Yoe,  Thomas  Mc 
Grain,  Joseph  Adams,  Charles  Mar- 
shall. The  life  of  this  company  was  a 
short  one.  A  majority  of  the  members 
were  in  the  army  or  navy  inside  of 
six  months  after  the  company  was 
organized. 

In  October  the  department  turned 
out  to  attend  the  funeral  of  Corporal 
McClure,  a  member  of  a  recruiting 
squad  for  the  regular  army,  who  had 
been  murdered  in  the  village. 

In  February,  1862,  the  board  formed 
a  plan  to  raise  |2,000  from  taxes  and 
add  to  it  $i,500  from  the  general  fund 
for  the  purpose  of  building  a  brick  en- 
gine house  on  the  north  side  of  the 
river;  four  months  thereafter  a  con- 
tract was  lot  to  Edward  S.  Latham  to 
build  a  house  in  accordance  with  plans 
submitted  by  him  for  the  sum  of 
$1,694. 

In  April,  1863,  a  contiact  was  let  to 
Kirby  &  VabGorder  to  build  a  brick 
engine  house  on  the  south  side  of  the 
river  for  the  sum  of  $1,289;  as  a 
reservoir  and  foundati(  n  for  this  build- 
ing was  already  made.  The  No.  3 
engine  company,  Henry  Churchill, 
foreman,  took  formal  possession  of 
this  house  in  August,  1863. 

In  November,  1864,  Chief  Thomas 
Carr  reported  to  the  trustees  that  he 
had  sold  the  No.  2    engine  to   the  vil- 


lage of  Groton,  N.  Y.,  for  the  sum  of 
$500. 

A  third  attempt  to  maintain  an  H.  & 
L  company  was  made  in  January  1866, 
by  appointing  twenty  men  for  this 
purpose  to  serve  under  the  command 
of  the  foreman  of  Yankee  Hose,  No.  1 . 
From  this  time  to  1868  there  was  no 
extraordinai'y  activity,  nor  many 
changes  in  the  department. 

The  year  1868,  was  a  busy  year 
caused  largely  by  a  series  of  supposed 
incendiary  fires.  In  February  of  that 
year  the  authorities  voted  to  purchase 
a  second  steamer  which  in  July  was 
delivered  to  the  No  3  company.  It 
was  christened  <  'Phoenix. "  James  Des- 
mond was  appointed  engineer.  In 
order  to  be  up  to  date  and  in  readiness, 
a  bed  was  ordered  for  the  No.  3  engine 
house  and  the  engineer  was  supposed  to 
occupy  it.  All  of  this  preparation  and 
precaution  was  followed  up  by  the  oflfer- 
ing  of  a  reward  of  $500  for  the  arrest 
and  conviction  of  the  person  or  per- 
sons who  had  burned  so  many  build- 
ings. One  person  was  caught  in  (he 
act  of  setting  fire  to  the  building  across 
the  canal  from  the  Phoenix  Mills,  but 
the  meshes  of  the  law  were  too  large 
to  hold  him  for  conviction.  But  the 
incendiarism  was  checked. 

In  January  1869,  a  movement  was 
made  to  consolidate  the  engine  and 
hose  companies  to  forty  members,  in 
order  to  increase  the  efiiciency  of  the 
department,  and,  at  the  same  time  re- 
duce the  expense  of  maintainauce. 
This  movement  seems  to  have  awaKened 
Some  insubordination  in  the  department 
which,  in  April  brought  out  a  report, 
from  a  special  committee  of  trustees  on 
fire  department  afiairs,  which  con- 
cluded with  a  recommendation  that  the 
volunteer  organizations,  in  so  far  as 
the  steamer  companies  were  concerned 
be  abolished,  and  a  paid  fire  depart- 
ment of  two  companies  be  established 
and  maintained.  The  committees  re- 
port was  accepted  and  its  recommend- 
ations were  adopted  by  the  trustees. 

By  authority  of  the  board,  Pi'esident 
H.  C.  Burt  bought  the  house  and  land 
adjoining  the  No  3  house  for  the  sum 
of  $546,  and  ordered  a  barn  and  stable 
for  the  horses  which  Messrs.  Hoag  and 


66 


Jewett  had  bought  for  the  department, 
built  thcreou. 

Ill  1871  Moses  Ruinsey  bought  ihe 
old  No   3  engine  for  the  sum  of  $450. 

On  October  1,  1874,  the  "Red 
Rover"  Engine  Co.  w»s  orgauized  as  a 
p«rt  of  the  village  fire  department  to 
operate  in  the  part  of  the  village  c?ill<'d 
''iiumseyville"  oulj',  except  in  (Emer- 
gencies, provided  that  the  ftutboritics 
turned  over  to  the  company  tlie  old  en- 
gin*^,  hose  cart  and  hose.  John  Mc- 
Bride  was  chosen  president,  VViiliam 
Walker  secretary  ahd  O.  F.  Cule  lore- 
man.  Forty-seven  men  jobjed  the 
company.  JB^om  this  time  the  com 
pany  grew  until  it  embraced  a  large 
pordon  of  the  male  adults  of  the  vil- 
lage who  had  not  previously  earned 
exemption  through  service.  In  1884 
it  changed  its  name  from  '*Red  Rover" 
to  "Gleasou  Fire  Patrol."  In  1886 
the  authorities  of  the  village  ordered 
the  members  who  resided  east  of  Wal- 
nut street,  to,  in  case  of  fire,  report 
for  service  on  No    1  Steamer. 

On  February  25.  1890,  the  Gleasou 
Fire  Patrol  disbanded. 

About  1880  the  Rumweyville  Hose 
Co.  was  organized  with  Henry  Prutig 
as  foreman  and  the  following  member- 
ship: Wm.  Lfdlon,  B.  Wooiidge,  John 
Merrimau,  Wm  Bradley,  Wm.  (J*  ok, 
Geo.  Feecb,  B.  F.  McLiridp,  Wm. 
Binney,  F.  Holmes,  Charles  Wallers, 
Alfred  Kirg,  C.  Wamby,  Wm  Rupert, 
George  Miner  and  Jefl.  Merrigan. 
The  death  of  this  company  is  not  re- 
corded. It  is  probable,  however,  that 
it  expired  at  the  time  of  tho  disband- 
ment  of  the  Glefison  Fire  Patrol. 

In  October,  of  1880,  the  Telephone 
Co.  put  alarm  boxes  in  each  firemnn's 
house  of  the  paid  department.  Of 
course  as  a  bed  was  provided  iu  the 
engine  house  of  the  ''Phoenix,"  no 
alarm  box  was  put  in  the  engineers' 
residence.  One  night  in  iSJoveniber 
the  engineer  concluded  to  spend  a  night 
at  home  which  proved  a  cosily  conclu- 
sion to  himself  and  the  village,  for 
during  his  absence  the  engine  house 
caught  fire,  and  when  the  firemen  ar- 
rived there  the  engine  was  cold,  the 
house  all  on  fire  and  no  engineer  at 
hand,  so  the  house  burned  and  the  en- 


gineer was  relieved.  In  December  the 
village  collected  $1,181  from  the  in- 
surance cmp'iny,  and  Ji'hn  Urquhart, 
the  present  engineer,  was  appointed 
vice  Di'smond,  reliuved. 

On  Jauuary  1.  1881,  the  company 
kuown  as  ihe  fcjilsby  Hoge  No  2,  was 
organized  with  the  following  member- 
ship: Clarence  A  MacDonald,  C.  A. 
Reamer,  Thomas  Carr,  Jr.,  Wm.  Bin- 
ney, Charles  S.  Sanderson,  J.  S. 
Ilurd,  George  Vosburg,  Russell  Carter, 
Wm.  Desmond,  T.  Short,  Wm.  Cory, 
J.  Powell,  T.  Taylor,  J.  T.  Rourk, 
W.  E.  Rupert,  W.  Hinckley,  S  Trow- 
briilge,  B  A.  McBride,  J.  Churchill, 
Alexander  Brown,  Thomas  Usher  and 
Wm.   Van  Ho  u  ten. 

Clarence  Mac  D.)nald  was  chosen  as 
foreman.  It  was  accepted  as  an  inde- 
pendent compiny,  but  while  their  ap- 
parades  was  oeiug  made  by  the  Silsby 
Mfg.  Co.,  they  were  ordered  to  take 
(juariers  wi:h,  .•uid  act  under  the  orders 
of  Steamer  No.  1  and  did  so  until  some 
tiuie  in  1882.  As  there  seemed  to  be  a 
redandance  of  hose  companies,  the 
company  decided  to  exi'hange  their 
hose  carriiixe  for  a  chemical  engine, 
so  on  May  21,  1883,  it  began  its  inde- 
pendent service  as  the  "Silsby  Chem- 
icaf'  company.  It  was  quartered  in 
the  Ptioenix  Block  about  where  now  the 
W^estern  Union  Telegraph  office  is.      In 

1884  it  left  the  Phoenix  block  and  took 
temporary  quarlers  with  Rescue  H.  & 
L    in  the  Johnson  h.Mll  block.     In  March 

1885  it  returned  to  its  old  quarters  iu 
the  Phoenix  block.  Iu  May  1888,  the 
fir;<t  move  vfas  made  iu  the  project  for 
building  a  house  for  its  own  use.  Ou 
the  18lh  of  May,  a  committee  was  ap- 
pointed to  select  a  lot,  but  not  until 
December  1888,  was  the  committee 
authorized  to  purchase  the  lot  on  Fall 
street,  ''next  east  of  the  Gardner- 
hou-e, "  and  to  prepare  plans  fur  a 
''Chemical"  house.  The  committee 
promptly  bojight  the  lot-  Contract 
was  entered  into  with  F.  E  Morehouse 
on  April  10.  1889,  and  on  December 
first  of  that  year  held  its  first  meeting 
in  the  new  and  well  appointed  house. 
During  the  year  1889  the  company 
and  the  village  authorities  were  greatly 
exercised  over  a  difficulty  originating 


66 


in  the  suspension  of  W.  M.  Beers,  one 
of  the  coinuany,  by  the  villnge  aulh- 
orities.  After  much  ill  teeling  had 
been  expressed,  it  was  discovered  that 
the  trustees,  Chief  engineer  and  the 
compnny  had  exceeded  their  pnwers  in 
this  unfortunate  afiair,  one  in  the  issue 
of  an  oHeusive  order,  and  the  otlier  in 
too  long  loyally  supporting  an  cfteud- 
iug  member,  as  soon  as  this  discovery 
was  made  a  compromise  resulted  and 
an  amicable  settlement  eii'ected.  Be- 
fore dropping  this  purt  of  luy  paper  I 
wish  to  say  that  tlie  records  are  the 
most  orderly,  the  most  correctly  kept  of 
any  that  1  have  examined  in  my  re- 
search. Its  business  has  been  tran- 
sacted on  true  business  principles.  Of 
all  the  fire  companies  that  have  sprung 
into  existence  in  the  past  seventy  years 
it  is  the  sole  souvenir.  Its  survival, 
in  my  opinion,  is  Inrgely  the  r^'sult  of 
correct  and  legal  guidance. 

On  Aprd  22,  1881.  was  held  thu  first 
meeting  of  a  few  young  men  to  con- 
sider the  advisability  of  (n-gauiziug  an 
independent  Hook  &  Lidder  company. 
The  result  of  their  deliberations  was 
the  formation  of  the  body  known  as 
''llericue''  11.  &  L,  This  body  was 
made  up  of  young  men  of  high  char- 
acter and  standing  in  the  eommunity. 
The  charter  members  were  Charles  T. 
Silsby,  W-  B.  Harper,  Frank  VVestcott, 
11.  W.  Long,  VV.  T.  Seymour,  J.  G. 
Armstrong,  Charles  Beh,  H.  N.  Rum- 
sey,  LouisMaurcr,  A.  M  Brideubecker, 
GcDrge  B   Seely,  C.  Mathews. 

W.  B.  Harper  was  chosen  its  first 
president.  The  popularity  of  this 
company  drew  out  applications  tor 
membership  in  great  numbers  but  only 
those  were  admitted  that  could  pass 
their  censorial  committee.  I  here  re- 
cord the  names  of  a  few  who  were  ac- 
cepted viz  George  B.  Davis,  Ed  M. 
Rumsey,  F.  W.  Owens,  W.  B.  Murray, 
H.  C.  Knickerbocker,  W.  C.  Muudv, 
J  H.  Breslin,  J  G.  Menjjes,  M.  D. 
Bellows,  F.  W.  Davis,  R.  P.  Lathrop, 
C.  S.  Hood,  Georo;e  Norton,  E.  W. 
Addison,  Charles  Chamberlain.  C.  H. 
WiUiaras,  A.  M.  Johnson,  W.  W. 
Warner,  R.  C.  Wayne,  C.  H.  West- 
cott.  C.  W.  Riegle. 

In  July  1881,  an   order   was   placed 


with  Rumsey  &  Co.  for  a  truck  with  a 
complete  equipement  to  be  made  in  ac- 
cordance with  the  sketch  and  specifi- 
cations submitted  by  the  company.  As 
it  was  to  be  a  more  elaborate  vehicle 
than  had  been  before  built,  much  time 
was  taken  in  its  makeup  and  finish. 
It  was  delivered  to  the  company  -Tan. 
uai'y  2,  1882.  The  company  records 
exhibit  a  very  deep  interest,  in  the 
management  of  its  attairs,  on  the  part 
of  its  meuibers,  for  about  ten  years 
of  its  existence  ;  later  the  mterest  began 
to  lag.  In  1895  it  held  its  most  suc- 
cessful fair  ever  held  in  our  village  by 
such  an  organization.  In  February, 
1896,  the  inevitable  appeared  in  the 
form  of  a  resolution  to  disband  which 
was  adopted;  and  in  Ax)i'il.  Edwaul  ftl. 
Rumsey,  its  president;  Fred  Maier, 
Jr.,  treasurer,  George  Norton,  H.  W. 
Long,  and  VV.  B.  Harper,  trustees 
closed  tlie  accounts  of  its  members  and 
dissolved.  Thus  ended,  after  fifteen 
years  of  excellent  service  the  only  suc- 
cessful H.  &  L.  comjiany  the  village 
ever  held. 

In  June  1882,  the  "Ramsey  Fro- 
tectives"  was  organized  and  accepted 
by  the  authorities.  The  duties  of  this 
company  were  to  be  the  protection  of 
the  goods  that  should  be  removed  from 
burning  buildings  and  the  extinguish- 
ment of  incipient  fires.  To  this  end, 
the  equipment  consisted  of  ropes, 
stakes,  sledges,  buckets  and  portable 
extinguishers.  I  give  yni  the  names 
of  the  active  meaibers:  Elgar  Page, 
George  H.  Ra\mond,  Robert  Gott, 
Byron  S.  Latimer,  Jas.  A  Hibbard, 
\Vm  Hinckley,  Spencer  Royston,  Geo. 
E.  Lewis,  Geo.  H.  Amidou,  A.  M. 
Ha'l,  Geo  H.  Bicknell,  Walter  Lewis, 
John  H.  Bilby,  F.  UeReamer,  Chas. 
O.  Mosher,  W.  T.  Smith,  Fred  Dun- 
ham,  William  Nichols,  Chas.  P«ge, 
John  Ryan,  M.  E  Re<igan,  A.  C  Marsh 
Wm  Sutherland,  S.  Woods,  Harry 
Snellgrove,  Wm  Warren,  John  Zim- 
merman, John  Powell,  Richard  War- 
ren, Robert  Warren.  It  was  a  lively, 
active  and  useful  company  that  was 
richly  backed  by  the  late  E.  A  Rum- 
sey. after  whose  changed  circum- 
stances and  the  altering  conditions  in 
the  fire  department,  the  interest  began 


67 


to  lag  The  oompany  ou  ^iveiubcr 
22,  1894,  divided  its  property  among 
the  remaining  iQt'mhers  nnd  dibbandcd. 

On  January  27,  1887,  the  Bai.ey 
Hose  Company  w>iM  oigaiized  for  tlie 
purpose  of  affonhng  ui\  adequate  lira 
prottctiou  for  the  southwestern  portion 
of  the  villfige.  TUe  organizers  were 
Fred  VV.  DtMot',  James  .Sinjiuon?, 
P.Htrick  Dufly,  l^-.triok  FI.  White. 
John  iV'aley,  George  St'i'Ic,  Joseph 
C-impbell,  F.  J.  Far'-on,  Pr.tiick  Mc 
Guire,  William  II.  Durnin,  Qveu  Col- 
gan,  Owen  F.  Oake>,  Richard  Carraher, 
J.  C.  Hughes  John  Lncy,  Thomas 
Doole.y,  J.  A.  Halpin,  Michsel  Maloney 
who  chose  as  officers,  president,  F. 
W.  Dtsmott;  vice  president  W.  P. 
iVIeCau! ;  -^eeretary  and  tivasurer,  O- 
F.  Onkos;  foi'eman,    James   Siramous. 

With  the  proci-eds  of  a  very  success- 
ful fair  the  compraiy  pmchased  a 
handsome  combined  par:i«e  and  service 
hose  carriage.  After  two  y*  ars  ser- 
vice as  a  hose  company  it  was  thought 
that  more  efficient  serviee  (iould  be 
rendered  with  a  chemical  en;j;!ue,  so 
the  ho?e  carriage  was  sold  to  the  vil- 
lage of  Morristown,  N.  J.,  and  a  (chem- 
ical engine  purchased  from  tL-e  Hollo- 
ways  of  Baltimore,  Md. 

The  wisdom  of  the  change  in  appar- 
atus was  clearly  demonstrated  ou  the 
occasion  of  the  jrreat  fire  ou  July  30, 
1890,  when  the  Bailey's  and  Silsby's 
chemicals  worktd  alternately  for  eight 
consecutive  hours  near  the  Tripp  hcu-e 
ou  State  street  and  successfully  checked 
the  progress  of  the  fire  in  that 
dii'eotion. 

The  quarters  of  the  company  was  the 
brick  building  at  the  south  end  of  the 
Bridge  street  bridgo  whii'h,  ou  the  en- 
trance of  the  Lehigh  Vdl'ey  railroad 
into  the  village,  was  converted  into  a 
passenger  sta'ion  for  that  road. 

During  its  existence  the  company 
maintained  a  perfectly  (quipped  fire 
house,  having  six  brd^,  sliding  po!e 
and  traps. 

The  bunkers  were  Frank  J.  Durnin, 
Horace  Safely,  B.  F.  Egllest-n,  P.  R. 
Ferguson,  P.  H.  Hughes  and  W.  P. 
McCaul. 

In  1898  by  reason  of  being  deprived 
of  a  home,  the    railroad    conipauy   re- 


quiring possession  of  their  house,  it  was 
decided  to  sell  the  property  of  the  com- 
pany and  divide  the  proceeds.  The 
engine  was  sold  to  Gleaeon  &  Bailey 
who  again  sold  it  to  the  village  of 
Ovid.  N  Y.  The  officers  Frank  J. 
Durnin,  president;  Gtorge  M.  Casey, 
vice  preaidcnt;  T.  J.  CufFry,  treasurer; 
F.  J  Farrell,  stci'etary  and  W  P. 
McCaul,  foreman.  After  equitably 
dividing  the  moni(?s  among  the  mem- 
bers of  the  company,  formally  dis- 
banded. 

The  general  village  charter  law 
under  which  the  village  of  Seueca  Falls 
is  now  incorporated,  delegates  to 
boards  and  commissioners  some  of  the 
duties  devolving  on  the  Board  of  Trus- 
tees under  the  old  charter.  So,  now 
our  fire  department  is  nominally  under 
the  command  of  the  Board  of  Fire 
Commissioners  which,  at  present,  is 
compost d  of  three  able,  skilled  and 
enthusiastic  fireojen,  namely,  M.  E. 
Hanlin,  John  Lefler,  and  Everett  Vos- 
burg. 

The  active  command,  as  heretofore, 
lies  in  a  Chief  and  two  assistants. 
The  present  Chief  Horace  N.  Eumsey 
succeeded  his  father,  Moses  Rumsey, 
who  had  filled  the  office  for  sixteen 
years ;  and  has  himself  filled  the  position 
for  eighteen  years.  The  first  assistant, 
M.  E.  Reagan  probably  has  not  a  sup- 
erior as  an  active  and  vigilant  fireman  ; 
the  2nd  assistant.  Albert  Sackett  is 
fully  equal  to  all  demands  made  upon 
him  in  the  subordinate  position  he 
occupies,  and  when  the  time  comes  for 
him  to  go  up  higher  he  will  prove 
cqu'illy  efficient  in  the  higher  place. 

The  department  apparatus  and  fire 
fighting  appurtenance  consist  of  two 
steam  engines,  one  hose  wagon,  one 
hand  hose  cart,  one  service  hook  & 
ladder  truck  and  equipment,  one  chem- 
ical engine  with  a  full  complement  of 
exi>erienced  engineers  and  hose  men  ; 
300  feet  of  good  hose ;  a  fire  alarm 
system  of  sixteen  boxes,  which  was 
installed  m  1902,  a  water  system, 
whose  average  pressure  is  not  above 
40  lbs  per  square  inch,  with  eighty- 
eight  hydrants  properly  distributed 
through  the  village.  Each  of  our 
large  manufactories  is  fitted  with    the 


58 


sprinkler  system  and  auxiliHi-y  tire 
pumps  and  hose  so  complete  as  to  feel 
independent  of  village  aid.  but  ia  able 
to  greatly  assist  in  fighiinjr  fires  along 
the  river's  course. 

I  am  informed  that  our  department 
has  been  supplied  with  attachmonts 
which  tpakes  the  hose  of  Auburn. 
Sencea  Falls.  Waterloo  nnd  Geneva 
interchangeable,  thus  ei,«bli!3g  the 
engines  of  the  four  departwents^to  be 
concentrated  in  an  emergency. 

All  fires  in  their  first  stages  are 
small  fires;  the  design  nnd  purpose  of 
the  chemical  is  the  prompt  extin- 
guishment of  incipient  fires;  then  it 
follows,  as  day  follows  niyht,  that 
celerity  of  movement  on  the  part  of 
this  appartus  is  of  the  greatest  im- 
portance. During  eight-twelfths  of  the 
year  our  streets  are  in  a  condiiim  to 
preclude  the  possibility  of  rapid  nifive- 
ment  through  them  by  a  hnnd  drawn 


vehicle  whii-h  weighs  about  three 
thousfind  pounds  What,  then,  in 
your  judgmt^nt,  is  the  remedy  for  this 
willful  abridgment  of  the  usefulness  of 
so  excelhnt  a  piece  of  fire  extinguish- 
ing apparatus? 

I  give  herewith  a  list  of  the  chief  en- 
gineers of  the  local  fira  department. 


Chief 

Naxe 

Geo.  W.  McClary 
Edward  B   Latham 
W  .  H   Arnett 
Obadiah  li.  Latham 
Thoina8  Oarr 
H.  W.  Seym  GUI' 
H.  W.  Seymour 
Lucius  S.  Gibba 
Lymun  T.  Moore 
Eostpii   M.  Babcock 
J.  J.Tyler 
Simon  W.  Arnett 
Moses  Rumeey 
Fforaoe  N.  Kumsey 
Wm.  B.  Harper 
Horace  N.   Kumsey 
J.  F.  Cro-by,  acintg 
Frank  Walters 
Horace  N.  Rutnsey 


F'.NGINEERS. 
Appointed    Expir.4tion. 


July  1S37 
Mar  '838 
Oct  1-47 
Aug  18M 
AUi(  1S52 
Dec  1855 
Dec  1855 
Aug  ISfaS 
Aug  1856 
Aug  1857 
Sept  1S58 
Nov  185S 
Aug  1866 
!>ec  1882 
Dec  18.44 
Apr  18'Jfi 
Apr  18i)(j 
Feb  18as 
Feb  1900 


March  l,'-38 
Oct  1847 
.4ug  1850 
Aug  1852 
Aug  18-55 
Anc  IS.'-e 
Aug  18.56 
Dec  1855 
.Aug  18.57 
Aug  18,58 
Mov  1858 
Aug  1866 
Dec  1882 
Dec  1894 
Mar  1896 
Decline<1 
Feb  1898 
Dec  1899 


Seneca  County  in  the  War  of  1812. 

By    Rev.    F».    E.    Smith. 


This  article  is  mainly  compiled  from 
writings  of  my  futher,  Jasou  Smith, 
and  much  of  it  iiad  been  already  pub- 
lished in  the  History  of  S(*n«ca  L'ounty. 

The  militia  of  Nuw  Y<i;k  consisted 
of  every  able  bodied  male  inhabitant 
between  the  ages  of  eigl)te;u  and 
forty-five-  excepting  those  religously 
opposed  to  war. 

The  report  of  the  Adjntfint-General 
for  1809  gave  a  total  eurollnunt  of  in- 
fantry, cavalry  and  artillery  of  102,068. 

In  1811,  there  were  (iepusits  of 
military  stores,  among  other  places  at 
Onondhga,  Canandaigiia  and  liatavia. 
The  cannon  at  these  mngasines  ranged 
ia  cali'n'e  from  thirty-two  down  to  two 
ponnders. 

Heavy  ordinance  intended  for  the 
Niagara  frontier  was  brought  from  Al- 
bany on  Durham  boats,  by  the  Seneea 
Dock  Navigfiiion  Company,  and  landed 
at  VVest  C:!yuga;  from  there  tiiey  were 
transported  on  stout  heavy  sleds  built 
for  that  purpose. 

Taught  by  the  recent  war  with  Eng- 
land, the  militia  system  was  regarded 
88  a  timely  precaution  to  guard  against 
Indian  depredation  and  foreign  in- 
vasion. Territory  was  districted  ac- 
cording to  population 

Privates  supplied  their  own  arras, 
and  ofiicers  thi'ir  own  uniforms  and 
side-arms.  At  a  later  date,  inde- 
pendent companies  were  equipped  at 
their  own  expense. 

Four  trainings  were  held  during  the 
year.  Two  county  traininiis,  helil  re- 
spectively cm  the  first  Monday  of  June 
and  b^'pteraber;  the  battalion  and  gen- 
eral, held  by  appointment.!"  made  by  the 
field  ( flBcers.  Notices  of  musters  were 
given,  through  lack  of  press  and  mail 
fncilit'es,  by  personal  visits  of  non  com- 
missioned officers  to  eai'h  oiiliiiam.'in. 
If  absent,  a  notice  was  placed  on  the 
door  of  the  house.  A  failure  to  attend 
resulted  in  a  court-martial  or  a  fine. 

The  first  general  training   in    Seneca 


County  was  held  at  Ovid  in  1802. 
Soon  after  a  regiment  was  organized 
for  the  north  end  of  the  county  at  old 
S.^auyes  and  out  of  a  compliment  Wil- 
helmus  Myuderse  was  chosen  by  the 
troops  for  colonel,  and  duly  commis- 
sioned by  the  Governor.  Lambert  Van 
Alstyn  was  Major  and  Hugh  W.  Dob- 
bin, adjatant.  Mynderse  cared  little 
for  martial  exercises  and  left  the  work 
of  drilling  to  Van  Alstyn  and  Dobbin, 
men  who  had  seen  service  and  were 
de.-tuied  to  win  honors  in  the  threat- 
ened war.  Colonel  Van  Alstyn  kept 
a  boarding  house  in  the  first  tavern 
erected  at  Seneca  Falls  later  known  as 
the  0;d  Market.  His  charges  were 
considered  excessive,  being  never  less 
than  twenty  five  cents  per  weok,  and 
once  reaching  $2.63.  General  Dobbin 
lived  about  four  and  a  half  miles 
-  west  of  Waterloo,  and  at  home  and  in 
the  field  was  a  soldier  by  nature. 

About  1811,  an  artillery  company 
was  formed  with  headquarters  at  Sen- 
eca Falls.  A  single  gun.  an  iron  nine- 
pouuder  was  drawn  from  the  state. 
Captain  Jacks  led  his  company  against 
the  British  and  Indians  during  the  war. 
The  last  survivor  of  bis  company  was 
Hiram  Woodworth  of  Tyre.  He  was 
wounded  by  the  premature  discharge 
of  the  gun  he  whs  loading,  losing  one 
eye,  having  his  arm  injured. 

Anticipating  a  collision  of  arms,  the 
(Governor  early  in  the  spring  of  1812, 
called  upon  the  militia  regiments  to 
furnish  a  company  each,  for  service  on 
the  Niagara  frontier.  Promptly  re- 
sponding Seneca  sent  out  a  company 
under  the  command  of  Captain  Terry 
of  Ovid,  The  names  of  the  men  who 
went  from  Tyre  were  Benjamin  Marsh, 
Silas  Barton,  James  VanHorn,  Ilichard 
Thomas,  Halsey  Whitehead. 

The  men  were  in  barracks  at  Black 
Rock  when  news  of  the  declar- 
ation of  war  by  the  United  States  ar- 
rived.      Hostilities   were   immediately 


60 


opened  by  an  exchange  of  shots  with 
the  British  artillerymen  across  the 
river. 

The  regular  army  was  augmented  by 
forces  of  mililia  raised  by  drafts.  The 
drafts  were  made  for  a  period  of  three 
months.  All  the  militia  were  called 
out  in  this  way,  and  some  were  called 
upon  a  second  and  even  a  third  tin^e. 
A  few  fled  the  draft.  Subftituies  were 
obtained  at  thirty  dollars  for  the  three 
months.  A  private  soldier's  pay  wns 
five  dollars  per  tuonih  but  was  in- 
creased to  eight  dollars.  The  first  en- 
gagement in  which  Seneca  soldiers 
took  part  was  the  struggle  at  Queens- 
town. 

The  Americans  were  led  by  General 
Van  Rensselaer  of  Albany,  the  British 
by  General  Brock.  The  Americans 
crossed  the  river  at  daybreak  October 
13,  1812  and  were  successful  in  the 
early  part  of  the  day,  bnt  the  British 
being  sti'ongly  reinforced  from  the 
garrison  at  Fort  George  and  the  Amer- 
ican militia  being  aflTected  by  the  num- 
ber of  wounded  brougiit  over,  and 
averse  to  leaving  their  own  territory, 
the  comparatively  small  force  of  Amer 
icans  engaged,  after  a  gallant  fight, 
was  compelled  to  surrender  as  prisoners 
of  war.  Of  men  in  the  battle  from 
Seneca,  was  a  rifle  company  raised  in 
Fayette,  commanded  by  Captain  Ire- 
land and  a  few  volunteers  from  the 
militia.  All  fought  bravely,  until  the 
inevitable  surrender  took  place.  Fully 
one  third  of  the  men  whom  Ireland  led 
into  action,  were  killed  or  wounded. 

The  year  1813  closed  with  disaster  to 
the  United  States  forces  on  the  frontier. 
The  British  assumed  the  offensive  and 
waged  relentless  and  cruel  warfare. 

On  December  19th  Colonel  Murray 
with  an  armed  force  surprised  and 
captured  Fort  Niagara  commanded  by 
Captain  Leonard.  Most  of  the  garrison 
were  bayonetted,  and  little  quarter 
shown  elsewhere.  General  McClure 
called  on  the  militia  of  the  westprn 
counties  of  New  York,  to  turn  out  en 
masse  to  defend  Butfalo  and  Black 
Rock.  A  panic  spread  through  the 
country.  The  British  were  reported  to 
be  crossing  the  river  Thousands  of 
militia    from  Seneca  and   neighboring 


counties  took  arms  and  began  their 
march  to  BufT-ilo. 

Quoting  froui  the  remiuiscf n:iis  of 
Jason  Smith  the  following  incidt-nts  of 
that  march  may  be  interesting.  He 
says,  evtry  man  turned  out  who  hftd 
any  patriutiHiu.  whether  he  was  liable 
to  do  military  duty  or  not.  I  was  not 
old  enough  to  be  enrolled  until  a  short 
time  before  the  alarm  but  1  took  my 
shot  gun  with  what  powder  I  had,  and 
moulds  to  east  n  buUet  to  fit  the  bore, 
and  went  with  the  rest.  W<^  went  that 
day  as  far  as  G;ceva.  The  citizHoe 
had  poured  in  from  every  direction,  a 
great  many  from  Cayugii  county. 
Every  public  house  was  filled  to  over- 
flowing. We  got  into  a  tavern  at  the 
south  end  of  the  viUage  and  occupied 
the  bar-room.  There  were  neither 
chairs  nor  benches  in  the  room  nor 
conveniences  for  sle<'ping,  and  if  there 
had  been,  we  could  not  have  slept,  as 
there  was  a  set  of  rowdies  who 
trained  all  night.  Among  whom  were 
Leonard  Wells*,  James  Magee,  Benja- 
min Sayre,  James  Gerald  from  tliis 
place  and  Noah  Morris,  Garry  Arnold 
and  a  number  of  others  whose  naraf'S 
are  not  recollected  from  Seneca  Falls. 
They  would  perform  what  they  called 
a  war  dance.  They  would  form  a 
ring  in  the  middle  of  Ihe  floor,  take 
hold  of  hands  and  circle  round  and 
round.  They  would  get  an  unsophis- 
ticated fellow  in  Uu'  ring,  then  away 
back  and  forth,  and  prostrate  him  on 
the  floor,  raise  a  war-whoop  and  make 
a  horrible  din.  All  the  way  he  could 
get  out  WHS  to  treat  liberally.  There 
was  a  tall  writing-desk  in  one  corner 
under  which  I  crawled  to  avoid  being 
run  over,  and  tried  to  get  a  little  sleep, 
but  they  hauled  me  out  occasionally 
and  hustled  me  jsround  the  room. 

The  ofiicers  who  slept  m  the  room 
above  us  would  come  down  occasion- 
ally and  try  to  q-ii^^t  them  and  they 
would  promise  to  be  very  quiet,  but 
as  soon  as  th*  y  had  fairly  gotten  into 
bed,  they  would  begin  again  as  bad 
as  ever. 

We  reached  Canandaigua  the  next 
day  about  3  o'clock  p  m.  where  we 
were  met  by  an  express  from  Buffalo, 
who  informed  us  that  the  British  had 


61 


gone  back  into  Canada,  and  that  we 
iiiigbt  return  home.  Meanwhile  the 
British  had  plundered  the  garrisons, 
and  burned  Buffalo. 

On  June  25,  1814,  a  command 
known  as  Colonel  Dobbin's  Regiment, 
Wfis  orgHiiized  at  Batavia  and  pro- 
ceeded to  the  frontier.  Among  th-i 
officers  were  Colonel  Ilutrh  \V.  Dob- 
bin, Majors  Lee  and  Miidison,  and 
Adjutant  Lodowick  Dobbins.  Two 
companies  went  from  Seneca;  one 
from  Ovid  commanded  by  Captain 
Hathaway,  the  other  from  Junius, 
officered  by  Captain  William  Hooper 
and  Lieutenant  Thom-is  VV  Roosevelt, 
the  latter  of  whom  had  seen  two  years 
service.  This  regiment  enlisted  for 
six  months,  and  wJis  call^-d  the  New 
York  Voludtefrs.  They  marched  from 
Batavia  tu  Black  Rock  where  they  were 
joined  by  a  regiment  of  Pennsylvania 
Volunteers,  and  a  body  of  Seneca 
warriors,  and  placed  under  comroand 
of  General  P.  B.  Porter. 

The  battle  of  Chippewa  was  fought 
shortly  after  their  arrival,  and,  all 
unused  to  the  terrors  of  musketry  fire, 
they  did  little  service. 

Scott's  brigade  crossed  Niagara  river 
on  July  3d  and  captured  Fort  Erie, 
they  then  advanced  upon  the  British 
who  were  encamped  behind  the  Chip- 
pewa, a  deep  still  strenm  which  runs 
at  right  angles  to  the  Niagara.  Kip- 
ley's  brigade  made  the  passage  of  the 
Niagara  about  midnight  of  the  4th  and 
Porter's  on  the  morning  of  the  5th. 
The  two  companies  lay  about  three 
fourths  of  a  mile  apart. 

At  four  o'clock  p.  m.  General  Porter 
circling  to  the  left  approached  the  Chip- 
pewas.  Dobbin's  regiment,  was  in  line 
on  the  extreme  left.  The  en'-niy  rf-cog- 
nizing  the  force  as  militia,  boldly  left 
their  trenches  crossed  the  stream  and 
expecting  an  easy  victory,  moved  for- 
ward, and  the  lines  of  battle  soon  be- 
came warmly  engasrerl.  The  clouds  of 
dust  and  hcnvy  tiring  indicitt^d  the 
state  of  aflairs  and  Scott's  veterans 
were  ordered  straight  forward.  Un- 
used to  battle  Porter's  command  gave 
way,  and  notwithstanding  strenuous 
efforts  could  not  be   brought   forward 


again  during  the  action.  The  enemy 
elated  by  success  received  the  attack 
by  Scott  with  coolness  and  the  combat 
became  furious. 

Major  Jessup  was  sent  with  the 
twenty-fifth  regulars  to  turn  the 
enemy's  right  wing.  He  was  presaed 
hard,  both  upon  front  and  flank  Ijut 
gave  the  order  '-Support  arms  and  ad- 
vance" his  men  obeying  in  the  midst  of 
a  deadly  lire  and  gnining  a  secure  posi- 
ti(»n,  opened  a  telling  roiuru  fire  and 
compelled  the  British  to  fall  back. 
Towsen  of  the  artillery  sih^nced  the 
enemy's  most  eflective  battery,  blew 
up  an  ordinance  wagon  and  opened 
with  heavy  discharges  of  canister 
upon  the  British  infantry  advancing  to 
the  charge.  The  enemy  gave  way  and 
were  driven  over  the  Chippewa  into 
their  works  with  heavy  loss  The  batUe 
of  Bridi:e water  or  the  Cataract  soon 
followed. 

A  number  of  days  passed,  and  the 
British  falling  back  maneuvered  th^ir 
force  to  deceive  in  regard  to  their 
ultimate  designs  and  meanwhile 
gathered  vessels  and  l)eo;an  to  Innd 
troops  at  Lewiston,  thereby  threaten- 
ing the  capture  of  the  baggage  and  sup- 
plies of  the  Americans. 

To  prevent  this,  Scott  with  a  part  of 
the  army  was  sent  to  menace  the  forces 
at  Queenstown.  About  sun  down  of 
July  25th  Scott  encountered  and  hotly 
engctgt'd  the  entire  Biiti^h  army. 
Then  was  illustratt-d  the  old  adage 
that  "  he  who  fig[)ts  and  runs  away, 
may  live  to  fight  another  day."  for 
Porter's  volunteers  advanced  to  Scott's 
support  with  ardor, took  ground  on  the 
extreme  left  and  in  good  order  and 
with  intrepidity  held  their  position  and 
repelled  a  determined  charge  by  the 
enemy.  Stimulated  by  the  voices  and 
examples  of  Colonel  Dobbin,  Major 
Wood  of  the  Pennsylvania  Volunteers 
and  other  officers,  these  raw  but  cour- 
ageous troops  hurled  themselves  upon 
the  British  line,  and  made  all  the 
prisoners  taken  at  this  point  of  the 
action.  Captain  PJooker  was  killed 
during  tlie  engagement,  which  lasted 
far  into  the  nijjht. 


Samuel  Harris  and  his  sen  Mn  Harris 


By     ¥^r&di    IT&ll&r- 


Prep?ired  by  Fred  Teller  aa<l  read  by 
Kev.  H.  Grant  Person  before  the  Sen- 
eca Falls  Iliotorieal  Society,  December 
21sf,  1908. 

Saiuuei  Harris,  the  father  of  John 
Harris,  who  ran  the  firtit  ferry  a;ros3 
Cayuga  Itike,  from  1788  until  the  «Jay- 
uga  bridge  was  eomp'eted,  was  born  at 
Harrisburg,  Pa  ,  May  4th,  1750.  In 
the  year  1795,  wt'icki  wns  the  year  in 
which  the  East  and  West  Cayugn  Res- 
ervHtions  were  released  to  the  state  by 
the  Oyuga  Tribe  of  Indians  and  sur- 
veyed iuto  lots,  he,  the  father,Temovtd 
to  the  east  bank  of  Cayug-a  li;ke  and 
patented  lot  No.  56  in  the  East  Cayu;/a 
Re.-tervatiou  tract.  This  iot  contained 
250  acres  and  was  imnK^diately  north  of 
his  son  John's.  The  eon  at  the  sHOie 
time  took  out  a  pat  nt  for  lot  No.  57, 
which  contained  a  somewhat  larger 
number  of  acres  Samuel  Harris  was 
an  old  Revolutionary  soldier.  His  re- 
mains lie  buried  at  the  Bridgeport 
cemetery.  On  his  monument  is  re- 
corded the  following :  '<He  was  an 
active  pariicipaut  in  the  stirring  scenes 
of  the  o!d  French  wars.  He  waa 
present  at  the  surprise  and  defeat  of 
Braddock  near  Fort  DuQucue.  He 
was  the  decided  friend  of  his  country 
and  her  cause  in  the  war  of  the  Revo- 
lution, daring  which  he  was  appointed 
captain  of  cavalry." 

His  father.  John  Harris,  Sr.,  erai- 
gratnd  front  Lincolnshire,  E"gland,  in 
1733  and  opened  an  Indian  tra^iing  post 
at  the  fords  on  the  Susquehanna  river, 
where  Uie  city  of  Harrisburg  now 
stands  The  hiRtorie*^  and  directories 
of  the  present  city  of  Harrisburg,  the 
capltol  of  Pennsylvania,  all  start  from 
the  time  that  the  orifrin«l  John  Harris, 
1st,  the  father  of  Samuel  Harris, looted 
on  the  site  of  that  city.  He  afterward 
surveyed  the  city  into  lots  and  the  city 
takes  its  name  from  the  Harris  family. 

There  is  an  old  oil  painting  in  ex- 
istence,  which  Mrs.  Philo  Cowing   of 


thi^  place  recalls,  that  is  in  the  posses- 
sion of  oil'.!  of  her  friends  in  Cayuga 
countj%  (the  Maclntos.'j  family,  who  are 
related  to  the  Harris  family  by  mar- 
riage), representing  this  John  Hards 
tied  to  a  tree  on  the  bank-j  of  the  Sus- 
qu-hanna  river  with  the  fagots  piled 
about  i)im  as  he  was  about  to  be  burned 
and  tortured  by  the  Iniians.  He  was 
rescu.Hl  by  a  tribe  of  friendly  Indians 
and  lived  for  many  years  afterward  a 
life  of  adventure  j-^nd  usefulness. 

Samuel  Il-irris  nami  d  his  sou  after 
his  father  John  and  it  was  this  John 
Harris  who  came  to  the  east  shore  of 
Cayuga  lake  in  1778  ai;d  ran  the  ferry 
in  partnership  wtiti  James  Bennett. 

In  the  course  of  some  corre.spondence 
between  Mrs.  L  G.  Sanford  in  behaif 
of  the  Daughter.s  of  ^Aie  Revolution  and 
the  secretaiy  of  the  state  of  Penn- 
sylvania, William  H.  Elge,  it  was 
diacovered  that  this  John  Harris  was 
also  a  Revolutionary  soldier.  He  was 
commissioned  captain,  October  14th, 
1776,  of  the  12in  Pennsylvania  regi- 
ment  commanded  by  Colonel  William 
Cook.  That  this  regiment  was  in  ac- 
tive service  and  so  severe  was  its  losses 
on  the  battlcflelda  of  New  Jersey  that 
in  April,  1778,  it  was  incorporated 
into  the  third  regiment  of  the  Penn- 
sylvania line  and  thei-eby  lost  its  iden- 
tity, while  niaiiy  of. its  officers,  includ- 
ing Captain  John  HarrsH,  becan.ie  su- 
pernumerary. Seneca  County  should 
be  proud  that  two  such  loyal  Ameri- 
cans should  have  become  her   citizens. 

In  1789  John  Harris  married  Mary 
Riehard'ion,  who  was  a  native  of  Fred- 
erick City,  Md.  The  following  year, 
1790,  his  first  son  vvas  born  and  he  was 
the  first  white  child  born  on  either 
shore  of  Cayuga  lake.  He  v/as  given 
the  family  name,  John. 

The  sixth  child  of  Captain  John 
Harris  (the  ferryman)  was  a  daughter 
and  was  named  Helen.  She  married 
Abram  Failing,  who  kept  one  of  the 


63 


leading  taverns  of  Bridi,rFport.  Whou 
Seneca  Falls  bcr-gnn  to  foi^o  to  the  lie-nl 
in  P')pul'itloii  and  import;inco  tii  yold 
out  bis  business  nt  Bridgeport.  nuJ  rb- 
moved  to  Seueca  Falls,  where  ho  b;)- 
camo  one  of  th«  loading  merchants  of 
our  village.  To  bis  daught'n',  Misa 
Elln,  now  Mrs.  C.  L.  Storj',  I  am  in 
dobted  for  the  use  of  a  very  va  uable 
lot  of  fa-nily  docutuente,  da".'i  and  p'ib- 
licntions  relating  to  ibis  romaika')le 
family.  Among  other  tbingw,  sbe  pos- 
seeses  an  old  print  reproac^nting  the 
same  scene  referred  to  by  Mrs.  Cow- 
ing, illustrating  the  torinrc  and  burn- 
ing of  her  ancesior,  the  first  John  Har- 
ris, by  th«  Indians. 

In  1790,  John  Harris  opened  the  first 
tavern  at  the  Cayuga  Feny.  This  land 
at  that  time  vpas  still  ow'".«'d  by  the 
Cayuga  Indians.  It  was  leased  from 
tbem  by  John  Harris  and  was  held  on 
euS"eraace.  The  Indians  were  uot  al- 
lovred  to  sell  thuir  lauds  without  the 
sanction  of  the  geuf-ral  govirniuent 
and  the  state.  The  parti<'S  who  held 
lenses  from  the  Indians  however,  were 
afterward,  when  it  was  acquired  by  the 
state  and  surveyed  into  lots,  given  the 
first  privilege  of  patenting  the  plots  on 
which  they  were  located. 

The  John  Harris  tavern  was  a  place 
of  general  rendezvous  and  you  will 
notice  on  all  the  old  maps  of  the  East 
Cayuga  Reservation  that  all  trails  from 
cvei"y  point  of  the  compass  centered  at 
that  point.  Its  old  tap  room  must  have 
been  a  very  attractive  place  to  the  Red 
man.  The  amount  of  valuable  fur  and 
beaver  skins  that  must  have  been 
traded  over  its  bar  for  suppli'^^'S  and 
ammunition, trinkets  and  the  seductive 
fire  water  came  to  a  tidy  sum  yearly. 
Its  owner  soon  became  a  raan  of  wealth 
and  influence  in  the  eoromunitv. 

In  the  year  1794  the  lands  comprised 
in  the  present  cou!ities  of  Seneca, 
Wayne,  Cayuga  and  Onondaga  were 
erected  into  a  new  county  known  as 
Onondaga  county  and  John  Hurris  was 
appointed  its  first  sberifT.  At  the  end 
of  his  term  he  was  elected  for  a  second 
term 

In  the  following  year  tho  council 
fire  for  a  treaty  wiih  the  Onondaga 
and  the  Cayuga  Indians  was  lighted  in 


front  of  the  'John  Harris  tavern  at 
the  C;iyu/i;a  Ferry  "  The  commis- 
sioiii  IS  on  thv)  part  of  the  stat«  were 
Philip  Schnyier.  John  Cantine,  Divid 
Brooks  and  John  Richardson.  By  this 
trentv  the  state  secured  from  the  Ouon- 
dagH  Indi-ius  the  Onondaga  Salt  Springs 
and  from  the  C.iyug'is  almost  all  of 
tiiidr  la'ids.  Joh'i  Harris'  numo  an- 
pears  on  this  treaty  as  oa«  of  the  wit- 
nesses. The  treaty  b«ars  date  of  July 
27th,  1795.  In  the  construction  and 
equipment  of  the  Cayuga  Bridge  Jt'ha 
H  iTis  took  a  prominent  part  and  was 
the  second  u'uned  one  of  its  iucor- 
P'jrators,  three  oi  tho  other  four  being 
representatives  of  large  latjd  com- 
panies. 

In  1801  he  was  prominent  in  the 
formation  of  the  Cayuga  Land  Com- 
pany,  which  owned  all  th  <  land  with- 
in two  miles  distant  from  the  east  end 
of  Cayu^ra  Bridge,  The  Cayuga  county 
clerk's  oflBl^e  shows  a  large  number  of 
transfers  of  lots  from  Nov.  7th,  1801, 
by  this  company  and  for  several  suc- 
ceeding years. 

In  1801  he  established  at  West  Cay- 
uga (Bridgeport)  a  general  store,  ash- 
«ry  and  a  distillery.  In  1806  he  was 
elected  to  Congress,  succeeding  as 
representative  of  this  district  Hon. 
Silas  Halsey  of  this  county.  In  1806 
ne  was  appointed  a  colonel  of  the 
militia.  During  the  war  of  1812  he 
served  with  his  regiment  at  the  front 
and  as  a  large  share  of  his  command 
waived  their  right  not  to  be  taken  out 
of  the  state,  took  i)art  in  several  en- 
gagements on  Canadian  soil. 

After  the  war  he  settled  at  West 
C-tyuga,  having  acquired  on  May  20th, 
1814,  title  to  thirty  and  one-half  acres 
of  laud  being  a  part  of  groat  lot  No.  5, 
He  died  in  November,  1824.  After 
the  war  and  previous  to  his  death  he 
held  a  muster  of  militia  at  Bridgeport 
for  a  number  of  years.  Mrs.  R.  C. 
Wayne  possesses  one  of  the  gilt  metal 
shou'der  epaulets,  formerly  the  prop- 
erty of  the' late  John  H.  Tooker,  which 
he  wore  at  the  training  day  exercises 
that  took  place  on  tiiese  occasions  on 
he  village  green  at  Bridgeport.  We 
of  tlie  present  day  have  no  idea  of  the 
importance    that    our   forefathers   at- 


64 


tached  to  one  of  these  muster  day 
gBtherings.  It  was  oue  of  the  gala 
days  of  the  year  and  if  requires  no  very 
great  iraa;j;iHai.iou  to  pieture  the  large 
concourse  of  people  that  would  con- 
gveg&te  around  the  taverns  and  the 
green  at  Bridgeport,  io  watch  the 
various  squads  of  mili'ia  execute  thiiir 
manoeuvres,  amid  the  applause  of  the 
speci«tors  and  the  rattle  of  actouter- 
ments.     Old  Mr.  Tooker,  then  a  feeble, 


white-haired  man,  once  remarked  to 
me  that  he  hud  never  eaten  any  thiua; 
that  tasU'd  quite  as  good  as  the  old 
fashioned  ridged,  trainin.o;  day  gini^er- 
bread  that  was  made  for  those  occas- 
sions. 

A  branch  of  the  Harris  family  emi- 
gratod  to  the  state  of  Texas  and  be- 
came prominent  in  its  afiairs.  Harris 
county  in  that  state  takes  its  name  from 
this  branch  of  the  Hams  family. 


The  First  Congregational  Church. 


By     Eci\njiTi     yV\e>cicle.n. 


A  majority  of  this  church  seceded 
from  the  VV^eslftyttii  cUuroli  in  the  yenr 
1869.  The  Wesleyan  church  general 
conference  inneried  in  their  discipline, 
makinj?  it  obligatory  in  this  deuominH- 
tion  that  no  poi'soii  should  be  a  mem- 
ber of  this  church  who  was  in  any  way 
connected  with  any  secret  society,  es- 
pecially Free  Masons  or  Odd  Fellows. 
This  brought  forth  a  division  of  senti- 
ment in  the  denomination,  as  n)any 
members  look  ttie  ground  that  We-i- 
leyau  Methodism  had  fulfilled  its  mis- 
sion in  the  abolition  of  slavery.  All 
will  acknowledge  that  the  Wesleyan 
Methodist  church  accomplishi-d  great 
good  in  that  cause  and  that  it  was  en- 
titled to  great  credit  for  its  noble 
work.  On  the  other  hand,  many 
claimed  that  the  conference  had  over- 
stepped its  authority  in  dictating  to  the 
chui'ches  in  regard  to  whom  it  should 
receive  as  members.  They  claimed 
that  this  decision  should  be  left  to  the 
local  ch'Jrch,  hence  the  division  of  the 
church  at  Seneca  Falls 

The  people  who  seceded  formed 
what  is  known  as  the  '<First  Congre- 
gational Society  of  Seneca  Falls." 
Iheir  first  meeting  was  in  Good  Temp- 
lars' hali  or  what  is  now  known  as 
Pythian  hall.  Their  first  meeting  to 
form  the  church  was  called  December 
6,  1869.  Steps  were  taken  to  incor- 
porate  it  as  a  religious  society,  Decem- 
ber 17,  1869. 

Rev.  W.  W.  Lyle  was  chosen  as  pas- 
tor, officers  were  elected  and  plans  put 
in  operation  to  form  and  build  up  a 
strong  society  in  this  community.  A 
Sabbath  school  with  full  corps  of 
teachers  with  average  attendance  of 
two  hundred  was  organized.  Edwin 
Medden  was  superinietident,  Rev.  W. 
W.  Lyle  was  assistant. 

In  the  meantime  arrangements  were 
being  made  to  secure  a  house  of  wor- 
ship. A  subscrintion  was  started  for 
that  purpose.     The   efibrt  was  not  so 


successful  as  was  expected  because 
other  denominations  started  to  do  the 
same.  This,  of  course,  lessened  all 
amounts.  If  the  other  churches  had 
delayed,  it  would,  no  doubt,  have  been 
a  benefit  to  all,  especially  to  the  Con- 
gregational church. 

It  was  thought  best  to  build  as  many 
of  our  best  citizens  encouraged  us  in 
our  endeavor.  A  lot  was  purchased 
from  Mr.  Davis  for  $3,500.  He  do- 
nated $500,  thus  making  the  cost 
$3,000.  A  honse  stood  upon  this  lot; 
this  was  sold  and  removed  for  $200. 
Work  was  begun  at  on<'e  upon  this 
property.  August  19,  1870,  the  cere- 
monies of  laying  the  corner  stone  took 
place.  First,  a  council  of  Congrega- 
tional ministers  was  held  at  the  hall 
where  the  church  was  recognized  by 
the  council  as  a  Congregational  church 
in  full  standing.  Following  this,  the 
ceremony  of  laying  the  corner  stone 
took  place.  Rev.  T.  Iv.  Beecher,  of 
E'mira,  delivered  the  address,  subject, 
"Why  am  I  a  Congregatioaalist?" 

The  cornerstone  is  in  the  northeast 
corner  of  the  tower.  The  following 
articles  were  deposited  in  the  stone: 
1st,  a  copy  of  the  Bible,  2nd,  Manual 
and  Historical  record  of  the  Congrega- 
tional church,  3rd,  Memorial  Jubilee 
medal  of  the  Landing  of  the  Pilgrims 
250  years  previous,  ith,  United  States 
silver  half-dol'ar,  5th,  fractional  cur- 
rency, 6th,  catalogues  of  village  manu- 
facturing firms,  7th,  village  news- 
papers, 8th,  village  charter,  9th,  list 
of  village  churches  and  names  of  pas- 
tors, lOth,  \Ut  of  teachers  in  public 
schools,  members  of  board  of  educa- 
tion, 11th.  copies  of  ''New  York  In- 
dependent," '^Chicago  Advance"  and 
''Glasgow  Christian  News."  12tb, 
minutes  of  New  York  State  Associa- 
tion of  Congregational  churches. 

The  church  was  finished  and  dedi- 
cated for  public  worship,  Thursday, 
Sept.    21,    1871.      The    sermon     was 


66 


preached  by  Rev.  Edward  Taylor,  D. 
D.,  of  Binghamton,  N.  Y.  The  con- 
tributioa  taken  up  that  evening 
amounted  to  $2,228.  The  membership 
at  this  time  was  one  hundred  and  two. 

After  the  church  was  finished  and 
dedicated  it  became  necessary  to  raise 
lean  on  the  bond  and  mortgage  upon 
church  property.  This  business  was 
placed  in  the  hands  of  the  following 
committee  :  Rev.  W  W.  Lyle,  Wm.  L. 
Bellows  and  Dr.  R.  Dunhsm.  The 
loan  of  $14,000  was  obtained  from  the 
Berkshire  Life  Insurance  Comp^iny,  of 
Mass.,  on  condition,  first,  that  the 
members  of  the  society  should  secure 
several  individual  life  insurance  poli- 
cies; second,  that  an  endowmetii  policy 
of  $5,000  should  be  secun  d  upon  *ome 
individual  for  the  church.  This  nm.Hint 
was  to  be  used  to  help  eanci'l  tlie  debt. 
The  bondsmen  were  Charles  Seekell, 
Horace  Seekeli,  William  Bellows,  Wil- 
liam King  and  Edwin  Medden. 

The  burden  was  heavy,  for  the  an- 
nual interest  on  policy  amounted  to 
$i60;  the  annual  interest  at  7  per 
cent  on  loan  was  $980.  nip.kiug  a  total 
of  $1,440,  aside  from  running  ex- 
penses of  the  church.  Speakers  were 
secured  at  different  times  to  attempt  to 
raise  the  debt  by  subscription.  The 
two  principal  speakers  were  Rev.  Mr. 
Ives  of  Auburn  and  Rev.  Mr.  Hop- 
worth  of  New  York.  They  succeeded 
in  raising  the  amount  needed,  but,  un- 
fortunately, a  large  number  neglected 
to  pay.  For  three  years  the  bondsmen 
paid  the  interest  on  loan  $980  to  re- 
lieve the  society  and  enable  them  to 
recover  and  pay,  if  possible,  the 
amount  of  the  loan.  It  seemed  as  if 
the  society  was  doomed,  but  the  mem- 
bers were  united  and  determined  to  do 
all  that  was  possible  to  save  the  church. 
The  bondsmen,  in  the  meantime, 
notified  the  holders  of  the  mortgage  to 
foreclose  and  make  an  agreement  with 
the  Berkshire  Life  Insurance  Com- 
pany, allowing  the  bondsmen  to  bid  it 
in  for  the  society  at  $10,000.  taking  a 
mortgage    without    bond    for      that 


amount.  The  bondsmen  agreed  to 
paY  the  balance  on  first  mortgage  of 
nearly  $7,000. 

Accordingly,  the  church  was  sold  by 
sheriff's  sale  at  the  Hong  House.  It 
was  bid  in  by  the  bondsmen  for  the 
above  sum  and  made  over  to  the  so- 
ciety. 

After  another  struggle  the  churclies 
of  the  Congregational  body  of  New 
York  state  «nd  several  of  our  most 
prominent  citizens  came  to  the  rescue. 
Among  these  kind  friends  were  H.C. 
Silsby.  Albert  Jewett.  J.  B  Johnson, 
H.  W.  Knight  and  odiers.  At  last 
the  society  succeeded  in  freeing  the 
church  from  debt.  It  is  so  to  day. 
Shn-tly  after  Mr.  J.  B.  Johnson  in  his 
will  donated  $2,000  for  the  support  of 
the  church.  This  is  now  invested  in  a 
parsonage.  The  church  was  freed 
from  indebtedness  July  3,  1881.  The 
following  gentlemen  served  as  pastors 
for  supplies  to  the  pulpit:  Revs.  W 
W.  Lyle,  Mr.  Fessenden,  Dr.  Hol- 
brook,  Mr.  Smith,  Mr.  Kinmouth, 
Mr.  Bell,  Dr.  Bradford,  Dr.  Peter 
Lindsey,  Mr.  Kawson,  Henry  Margetts, 
and  Rev.  Dr.  A.  W.  Taylor,  present 
pastor,  who  has  served  us  eleven  years. 

In  all  the  years  of  our  financial  dif- 
ficulties and  trial  the  members  of  the 
church  were  as  a  unit,  working  to- 
gether in  all  that  pertained  to  the  wel- 
fare of  the  church  and  the  cause  of 
Christ.  The  Congregational  church 
of  Seneea  Falls  has  won  a  name  for 
faithfulness  and  devotion  to  the  cause. 
God  had  been  our  guide  in  all  our 
troubles,  has  been  blessed  spiritually. 
In  our  darkest  days  many  were  con- 
verted and  brought  into  the  kingdom 
of  Christ.  Much  good,  wo  trust  has 
been  done  in  God's  service  through  the 
Congregational  church.  Though  many 
made  sacrifice  to  the  extent  of  loss  of 
property,  yet  God  blessed  them  because 
of  their  loyalty  to  his  cause.  Most  of 
the  heavy  burdens  bearers  have  passed 
away  to  their  reward,  but  the  church 
to-day  honors  their  memory  and  de- 
votion to  the  cause  of  Christ, 


The  Streets  of  Seneca  Falls. 


BY   MISS  JANET    COWING. 


This  subject  was  orginally  assigned 
to  tlie  late  Miss  Jenuie  Wilcoxeu,  and 
her  notes  have  been  freely  used  in  this 
paper. 

We  first  begin  with  tbe  map  of 
Wilhelmus  Myiuierse,  dated  Sepiember 
15th,  1826,  which  was  a  description  of 
the  State  100  acres,  situated  in  the 
south  east  corner  of  the  J>)t  100  in  the 
Township  of  Junius,  county  of  Seuccu, 
set  off  as  his  share  in  the  partition  of 
the  estate  of  the  proprietors  of  Stneca. 
The  original  streets  were  the  Seneca 
Turnpike  road  or  Fall  street,  Cayuga 
street  avenue  and  State  street;  Canal 
street  was  laid  out  but  not  named. 

A  map  of  the  village  made  by  John 
Burton,  surveyor,  in  1835,  shows  all 
the  steets  of  the  town  at  that  time. 

Running  parallel  with  Seneca  river 
and  directly  north  of  it  was  Fall  street, 
so  naojed  from  the  fall  in  the  river  and 
grade  of  the  street.  Extending  from 
Fall  street  north,  was  Cayuga  street, 
(named  from  our  beautiful  lake).  State 
street  comes  next,  thence  Mynderse 
street,  named  for  Wilbelmns  Mynderse 
one  of  the  original  proprietors  of  the 
town  of  Seneca,  and  which  was  the 
western  boundary  of  his  land,  Clinton 
street  named  after  Dewitt  C.  Clinton, 
governor  of  the  State  of  New  York, 
and  next  is  Walnut  street. 

East  from  Cayuga  street,  there  was 
Boyd,  known  afterwards  as  **Pig 
Lane,"  a  short  street  running  from 
Cayuga  to  Fall,  named  after  James 
Boyd.  An  old  deed  speaks  of  bim  as  a 
'•Merchant  of  New  York." 

Dey  street,  the  great  coasting  region 
running  down  hill  all  the  way  to  Sen- 
eca Turnpike  or  Fall  street  and  named 
after  Charles  and  Anthony  Dey,  prom 
inent  business  men  of  the  place. 

Prospect  street,  named  after  Pros- 
pect hill,  now  traversed  by  the  New 
York  Central  railroad.  From  this 
point,  a  view  of  Seneca  Falls  was 
taken  in  1817. 


Johnston  street  named  after  John 
Johnston,  the  father-in-law  of  the  late 
Mr.  Frederick  B.  Swaby,  who  gave 
this  street  to  the  village.  Maple  street 
runs  north  from  Johnston,  through  the 
Swaby  addition. 

In  that  portion  of  the  village  known 
as  the ''Flati,"  are  Wall  street  at  the 
foot  of  which  lived  Thomas  I.  Paine, 
who  operated  a  chandelry,  and  was 
known  for  his  great  size. 

Lawrence  street  was  evidently 
named  after  Lawrence  VauCleef. 

On  the  map  of  1825  the  park,  the 
Wilhelmus  Mynderse,  was  laid  out, 
but  not  named,  so  between  Cayuga  and 
State  streets  are  North  and  South  Park 
streets,  west  from  State  street  is  Jefl- 
erson  street  a  short  street  extending 
only  to  Maynderse. 

Then  comes  Chapel, extending  to  the 
western  limits  of  village,  and  John 
street  a  short  street  north  of  Chapel. 

Between  State  and  Mynderse  is  Troy 
street. 

On  Frenche's  map  of  1856  in  the  Ist 
ward,  north  of  Troy  street,  a  portion  of 
land  own<'d  by  Daniels,  Mynderse  and 
VanCleef  was  laid  out  in  village  lots 
and  Daniel's  street  running  from  Troy 
to  Clinton,  and  VanCleef  street,  also 
running  from  Troy  to  Clinton,  were 
named  after  George  B.  Daniels  and  Al- 
exander VanCleef. 

West  of  Mynderse  was  Oak  street, 
extending  to  the  western  limit  of  the 
village,  running  parallel  with  New 
York  Central  railroad  from  Mynderse. 
Goulds  No  2  shop  faces  Oak  and 
Heath  streets.  W^est  of  Clinton  was 
Miller,  named  after  Deacon  Peter  Miller 
who  kept  a  tavern  and  was  a  deacon  in 
the  Presbyterian  church. 

A  map  of  village  lots  made  by  Gil- 
bert Wilcoxcn  in  1858  shows  the  ex- 
tontion  of  the  village  north  of  Fall 
and  west  of  Walnut  north  of  the  rail- 
road ;  and  west  of  Walnut  were  40  acres 
of  land  owned    by    J.  Thompson,    ex- 


68 


tending  40  rods  wide  to  the  north. 
Parallel  with  and  west  of  Thompson's 
property  was  Ramsey  street  extending 
north  from  Thompson's  land  and  cut- 
ting Ramsey  were  Chestnut,  Chapel, 
Pleasant  and  Ridge.  These  streets  are 
47  to  50  feet  wide. 

A  map  showing  extension  of  these 
streets  east  through  Thompson's  prop- 
erty was  made  in  May  1876,  with  addi- 
tion of  North  street  at  nortnern  end  of 
Thompson's  land.  South  of  railroad  ; 
Miller  street  was  extended  further 
west. 

Dr.  H.  H.  Heath's  addition,  orginally 
puuchased  from  Wakeman  Burr,  ran 
from  the  river  to  the  northei-n  limit  of 
the  village.  Dr.  Heath  was  our  oldest 
homeopathic  physician. 

The  Rumsey  addition,  known  as 
Rumseyville  was  purchased  of  Dr. 
Heath  in  1858  hj  John  A.  Rumsey  and 
laid  out  in  lots  and  ran  from  Oak 
street  to  near  the  northern  limit  of  the 
village.  The  street  which  bears  his 
name  runs  to  Fall  and  is  continued  to 
the  river  through  the  Fred  Maier  ad- 
dition. 

In  the  Heath  addition  was  Rumsey 
street  49  1  2  feet  wide.  Lincoln  49  1-2 
feet  wide,  named  for  our  martyred 
president.  B'all  street  is  66  feet  wide 
at  this  point.  Then  Heath  street  run- 
ning from  Fail  to  Oak  and  is  the  near- 
est way  to  Gould's  No.  2  shop. 

A  map  of  lots  in  second  ward,  made 
for  the  Seneca  Falls  co-operative  build- 
ing lot  association,  by  Gilbert  Wilcoxen 
surveyor,  gave  the  addition  of  three 
streets  running  west  from  State  street 
100  feet.  Porter  was  named  after  J. 
Porter. 

Boston  avenue  and  Butler  were 
named  after  Sol. Butler,  a  noted  colored 
individual  of  this  village,  who  lived 
there.  Further  north  another  J.  A, 
Rumsey  addition  gave  us  Buffalo  and 
Tyre  avenues,  west  of  State. 

On  the  south  side  of  the  river  and 
parallel  with  it  were  Canal  street  and 
Bayard  street.  The  latter  was  named 
for  Stephen  N  Bayard,  one  of  the  or- 
iginal land  owners.  Extending  south 
from  Bayard  was  Ovid  street  so  named 
from  the  village  of  Ovid,  which  is  six- 
teen miles  directly  south.      This  street 


divides  the  Third  and  Fourth  wards. 

Senter  named  after  Senler  Rl.  Gid 
digns,  (and  should  be  spelled  with  an 
S.)  The  street  runs  south  and  east  and 
strikes  Ovid;  thence  Bridge,  Swaby. 
named  fjfter  Frederick  B.  Swaby,  the 
pioneer  of  that  family.  Toledo,  then 
Sackett,  nan^ed  from  Gary  V.  SacKett, 
these  last  three  mentoned  are  short 
streets    running  through  to  Haigh. 

Williams  a  short  street  running 
from  Bridge  to  Swaby.  Haigh  street 
was  named  after  Mr.  Gary  V. 
Sackett 's  wife.  She  was  Ann  Haigh. 
was  also  a  relative  of  the  Swaby's.  It 
runs  west  from  Bridge  to  western 
limit  of  village.  Barker,  short  street 
running  east  from  Bridge  to  Ovid. 

Next  the  J.  T.  Miller  addition  in 
which  they  have  opened  Maynard  and 
Mechanic  streets,  which  run  through  to 
Ovid.  Next  the  3rd  Ward  building 
lot  association  No.  2  surveyed  by 
Martin  O'Neil  for  Thomas  McGovern, 
Sr.,  in  which  has  been  opened  Sham- 
rock avenue.  In  front  of  3rd  ward 
school  house  is  Seneca  Lane  running 
from  Haigh  to  Mechanic.  Returning 
to  East  Bayard  street,  we  find  Spring 
running  south  to  Chapin  ;  White  run- 
ning south  to  Garden,  Goodwin  a 
short  street  running  south  to  Elm,  and 
named  after  Mr.  H.  Goodwin,  who 
built  and  lived  in  the  house  known  as 
the  Tyler  homestead. 

Stevenson  runs  south  from  Bayard  to 
corporation  limit,  was  named  for  John 
Stevenson,  Sr.,  who  lived  at  the  junc- 
tion of  Garden  and  Stevenson.  It  is 
now  traversed  by  the  electric  road. 

Then  Gres  n  running  from  Ovid  east 
Stevenson  street  through  Tyler  addi- 
tion. Garden  from  Ovid  east  to  Steven- 
son, Montgomery,  a  short  street  (con- 
necting Grreen  with  Garden)  runs 
through  the  J.  P.  Cowing  addition, 
named  for  Wm.  Montgomery,  the  first 
resilient  on  the  street.  Next  East  ave. 
Canoga,  Sherman  and  Fayette  streets 
laid  out  on  the  Tyler  additions,  but 
not  yet  opened  Mumford  street  run. 
ning  north  from  Bayard  to  Latham, 
named  after  Mr.  S.  T.  Mumford  who 
owned  and  built  the  house  now  occu- 
pied by  Mrs.  Owen  W.  Smyth. 
Washington  street  (originally  Mynderse 


99 


street)  afterwards  changed  to  Wash- 
ingtou  in  honor  of  the  (Father  of  his 
Country)  ;  runs  from  Bayard  to  Seneca 
Turnpike.  Jay  is  a  short  street  run- 
ning north  from  Bayi  i-d  street  to  Seneca 
street.  Latham  street  is  a  part  of  the 
Ln'ham  addition,  owned  b}  Obadiah  S. 
Latham,  running  from  Wtishiugton  to 
Mnmford  street.  Another  short  street 
oft  from  Washington  is  Troup  street 
named  from  Robert  Troup,  District 
Judge  of  the  United  Slates  tor  the 
District  of  New  York  in  1798,  once 
owner  of  a  fifth  part  of  the  town  of 
Seneca.  This  street  runs  over  the 
brow  of  the  hill  and  is  suppoaed  to 
connect  with  a  bridge  at  that  point. 
Adams  street  runs  east  from  Washing- 
ton to  Jay  street,  through  the  J.  P. 
Cowing  addition. 

The  land  of  the  4th  ward  building 
association,  formerly  the  Scldcn  Chap 
in  farm,  in  the  southeastern  part  of 
the  town,  was  surveyed  by  G.  Wil- 
coxen  and  Smith  in  1872.  East  from 
Ovid  and  pta-pendicular  to  it,  running 
east,  are  Chapin  street,  49  1-2  feet 
wide  (named  for  Selden  Chapin) 
Boardman  street,  66  feet  wide,  named 
for  Deming  Boardman,  br.,  and  South 
street,  60  feet  wide. 

Between  Chspin  and  South  streets, 
running  north  and  south  and  east  of 
Ovid  street  are  Hnag  street,  66  feet 
wide,  named  for  Milton  Hoag,  Smith 
street,  60  feet  wide,  and  Haw  ley  street, 
60  feet  wide,  named  for  Charles  A. 
Hawley,  Cuddeback  street,  60  feet 
wide,  named  for  John  Cuddeback, 
Davis  street,  60  feet  wide,  named  for 
Adelbert  S.  Davis.  Between  Board 
man  and  South  streets,  running  north 
and  south,  is  Spring  street,  60  feet 
wide.  This  makes  an  addition  of  nine 
streets. 

On  West  Bayard  street  and  west  of 
the  stone  house  occupied  by  the  late 
Wm.  Van  Rensselaer,  the  land  famil- 
iarly known  as  ''Sackett's  sixty  acre 
lot,"  was  laid  out  in  villflge  lots  and 
streets,  the  names  of  which  are  as  fol- 
lows:  Van  liensselner,  Courlland,  Hos- 
ier, Providence,  Chicago,  Baltimore, 
California.  These  streets  run  south  to 
the  Driving  Park. 

Cayuga  and  State  streets    are    the 


widest  in  town  Bayard  comes  nextl 
At  a  sheriff's  sale  issued  out  of  the 
Court  of  Common  Pleas  for  the  County 
of  Seneca,  in  March,  1847,  against  the 
real  estate,  etc.,  of  Anthony  Dt-y,  in  a 
description  of  certain  pieces  and  part 
eels  of  land,  there  was  one  as  follows: 
"A  vacant  lot  on  Cayuga  street,  north 
of  Bunt  street,"  I  find  that  Bunt  street 
lends  off  from  Boyd  street,  back  of  the 
Ramsey  and  Silsby  dwellings  to  the 
old  cemetery.  The  Jot  mentioned  as 
being  north  of  Bunt  street  is  now  oc- 
cupied by  Charles  Frank  Hammond. 
sheriff's  sale. 
By  virtue  of  an  Execution  issued  out 
of  the  Court  of  Conimon  Pleas  in  and 
for  the  Ccuniy  of  Seneca,  to  me  di- 
rected and  delivered,  against  the  goods 
and  chattels,  lands  and  tenements,  real 
estate  and  chattels  of  Anthony  Dey,  in 
my  Bailiwick  I  have  seized  and  taken 
all  the  right,  title,  interest  and  estate 
which  the  said  Anthony  Dey  had  on 
the  26th  day  of  May,  A.  D.,  1846,  or 
which  he  may  have  since  acquired,  of, 
in  and  to  all  the  lands  and  premises 
hereinafter  mentioned  and  described, 
to  wit:  All  those  certain  pieces  or  par- 
cels of  land  situate,  lying  and  being 
in  the  vilinge  of  Seneca  Falls,  on  lot 
100  of  Junius,  now  Seneca  Falls, 
known  and  distinguished  as  lots  Nos. 
three,  four,  five,  six,  seven,  eight, 
nine,  ten,  eleven  and  twelve  on  Fall 
street,  also  Nos.  one,  three,  five, 
seven,  nine,  eleven  and  thirteen  on 
Dey  street,  also  Nos.  twenty-seven, 
twenty-eight,  twenty-nine,  thirty  six, 
thirty- eight  and  forty  on  Cayuga  street, 
also,  a  vacant  lot  on  Cayuga  street, 
north  of  Bunt  street,  also  the  Woolen 
Factory  lot,  having  fifty  feet  front 
on  Fall  street  with  Water  power  equal 
to  one  and  a  half  Runs  of  Stone  on 
what  is  called  Dey's  race;  also  lot  No. 
thirteen  on  Fall  street,  being  one  hun- 
dred feet  front,  containing  nearly  three 
fourth's  of  an  acre  of  land,  on  which 
is  situated  a  commodious  dwelling 
house,  as  the  snid  lots  are  laid  down  on 
a  map  of  snid  village,  made  by  John 
Burton,  E'q.,  for  V.  B.  Ryerson,  and 
so  described  on  a  map  thereof,  now  on 
file  in  the  office  of  the  Clerk  of  said 
county,  all  of  which  aforesaid  property 


70 


I  shall  expose  for  sale  at  public  auction 
af  the  Clinton  House  now  kept  by 
David  Milk,  in  the  village  of  Seneea 
Falls,  on  Friday,  the  thirteenth  day  of 
April  neit,  at  ten  of  the  clock  in  the 
forenoon  of  that  day, — Dated  at 
Waterloo,  the  23d  day  of  March, A.  D. 
1847. 

HUGH  CHAPMAN,  Sheriff. 
By  Joseph  C.  Payne,  Under  Sheriff. 

At  Restvale  cemetery,  "at  that  vil- 
lage white  and  still,"  are  four  streets, 
named  by  the  late  Mrs.  Laura  Russell, 
viz:  Sunnyside  Ave.,  Laurel  Ave., 
Woodlawn  Ave.  and  Magnolia  Ave. 

Maplewood  addition,  south  side  of 
river,  west  part  of  village,  west  of 
Catholic  church,  surveyed  by  G.  Wil- 
coxen,  1900,  and  laid  out  in  streets, 
running  parallel  north  and  south  from 
Bayard  to  Haigh,  50  feet  wide. 

Most  of  the  additions  surrounding 
the  town  were  surveyed  and  laid  out 
at  diflerent  times  by  G.  VVilcoxen,  sur- 
veyor, and  all  the  various  maps  of  the 
town  are  supposed  to  be  filed  at  the 
County  Clerk's  oflSce. 

There  are  now  a  little  over  thirty, 
one  miles  of  streets  in  Seneca  Falls, 
and  if  one  should  traverse  them  in  a 
day,  they  would  have  all  the  fresh  air 
and  exercise  the  most  strenuous  advo- 
cates of  these  helps  would  advise. 

In  naming  the  streets  our  citizens 
showed  honor  both  to  the  great  men 
of  the  nation  and  the  enterprising  citi- 
zens of  the  town,  also  large  cities.  I 
will  recapitulate  a  few  :  Washington, 
Adams,  Jefferson.  Lincoln,  Jay,  Clin- 
ton, Mynderse,  Bayard,  Troup,  Boyd, 
VanCleef,  Daniels,  Sackett,  Swaby, 
Heath,  Cuddeback,  Hoag,  Hawley, 
Davis,  Rumsey  and  many  others. 

Only  three  of  the  men  after  whom 
these  streets  were  named  are  alive  to- 
day. It  has  been  said  that  the  streets 
of  Seneca  Falls  were  originally  laid 
out  on  the  Indian  trails,  and  from  their 
irregularity  this  may  be  readily  be- 
lieved. So  diversified  is  the  surface 
that  one  would  think  them  almost  pat- 
terned after  Rome  and  laid  out  on 
seven  hills.  There  was  a  hill  on  Cay- 
uga street,  from  the  corner  of  Boyd 
street.  Pig  Lane  or  Trinity  Lane  as  it 
is    now    called,    to    Hoskins    corner, 


where  boys  and  girls  coasted.  The 
hill  on  Cayuga  street  near  where  the 
railroad  is  now  (not  under  the  arch) 
was  many  feet  steeper  and  afforded 
great  fun  for  the  school  children. 
There  was  a  steep  hill  on  Fall  street, 
near  the  old  Beehive,  corner  of  Wal- 
nut stree;.  Some  old  houses  standing 
there  now  show  bow  it  has  been  filled 
in. 

The  hill  on  Ovid  street,  beginning 
at  Bayard,  was  very  steep,  indeed,  and 
has  been  filled  in  with  tons  and  tons  of 
earth. 

Both  bridges  were  many  feet  lower 
and  the  lower  story  of  Goulds  shop, 
when  it  was  Andrew  P.  Tillman's  resi- 
dence, was  on  a  level  with  the  bridge. 
All  over  this  town  streets  have  been 
filled  in  that  way,  showing  enterprise 
on  the  part  of  the  people. 

Hardly  any  of  our  streets  are 
straight,  they  run  along  for  a  while, 
then  vere  to  the  right  or  left,  according 
to  their  own  sweet  will.  But  if  our 
streets  are  a  little  eccentric,  no  one 
will  question  that  our  goods  manu- 
factured in  our  numerous  factories  and 
sent  to  all  quarters  of  the  globe  are 
straight  goods. 

Speakmg  of  regular  and  irregular 
streets  reminds  one  of  an  anecdote. 
A  Philadelphian  stopping  in  Boston 
had  a  great  deal  to  say  about  the  queer 
streets  of  the  hub  of  the  Universe. 
''Your  streets  are  so  crooked,"  said  he, 
"that  it  is  hard  getting  about.  If 
Boston  had  only  been  laid  out  like 
Philadelphia,  it  would  be  a  much  finer 
city."  ''Well,"  replied  the  Boston 
man.  "if  Boston  ever  gets  to  be  as 
dead  as  Philadelphia,  we  will  try  and 
lay  her  out  in  the  manner  vou  suggest." 

So  we  say  to  all  who  criticise  the 
irregularity  of  our  streets.  Seneca 
Falls  is  a  live  town,  streets  and  all. 

The  map  shows  that  there  were 
plaster  mills,  saw  mills,  stone  mill, 
sash  factory,  barrell  factory,  clock  fac- 
tory, paper  mill,  cotton  factory  and 
bleachery.  Globe  mill,  tannery,  now 
part  of  Goulds  building  No.  1,  Oil 
mills,  chair  factory,  etc.,  in  1835- 

The  map  1825  shows  saw  mills, 
grist  mill,  carding  and  fulling  mill. 

The   following  advertisement  from 


71 

an  old  paper  is  of  considerable  interest 
in  connection  with  this  snbject  as 
sliowing  that  what  is  now  called  Water 
street  was  originally  considered  a  part 
of  Fall  street. 

George  Shoemaker, 

Dealer  in  Siaple  nnd  Fancy 
DRY  GOODS.  GllOCERIES,  CROCK- 
ERY AND  HARDWARE. 

At  the  struiii  of  Shoemaker  &  Co., 
on  Fall  street,  fronting  the  north  end 
of  the  new  bridge  in  the  west  end  of 
the  village,  will  always  have  on  hand 
every  article  in  the  Dry  Goods  line; 
Groci'iioa  of  every  description;  Crock- 
ery, a  fnll  assortment;  Shelf  Hard- 
ware, Nails,  Rope,  Stone  and  Earth'U 
Ware,  &o.  &c.  As  I  have  determined 
to  conform  the  prices  of  Goods  to  the 
hardness  of  the  times,  Small  Profits 
for  Good  Pay  is  the  motto;  and  quali- 
ties considered;  I  am  not  to  be  under- 
sold by  any  one.  Please  call  and 
examine.  Butter,  Lard,  Pork,  Eggs, 
and  all  kind  of  produce  taken  in  ex- 
change for  goods. 

JOHN  SFIOEMAKER  &  Co  ,  at  the 
white  Brick  Mill,  nearly  opposite,  are 
at  all  times  pnying  the  highest  prices 
in  cash  for  Wheat.  Corn.  Barley,  Rye, 
Clover  and  Timothy  seed,  &c. 

Seneca  Falls,  May  13.   1843. 


The  First  Baptist  Church. 


BY  REV.  S.  M.  NEWLAND. 


In  presenting  this  paper  I  desire  to 
make  Hcknowledgement  that  I  am  quite 
largely  indebted  to  the  Rev.  Wm.  R. 
Wrif  ht,  who  was  pastor  of  the  Baptist 
church  of  this  place  a  little  over  five 
years.  This  pastorate  commeuced 
September  1873.  During  his  pastorate 
he  prepared  a  historical  sermon  and  de- 
livered it  on  the  fiftieth  anniversary  of 
the  constitution  of  th"  church.  A  copy 
of  this  sera.on  was  loaned  me  a  few 
years  since  by  Mrs.  Phebe  Dye,  when 
I  hrst  prepared  for  my  own  people  very 
largely  what  I  shnll  say  to-niyht,  and 
from  tiiis  sermon  I  gather  most  of  the 
items  of  the  first  fifty  years'  history  of 
the  Baptist  church  of  Sinieca  Falls,  the 
old  records  having  been  m'stly  destroy- 
ed in  the  fire  of  1898,  while  in  keep- 
ing of  the  church  clerk,  Dr.  Lowe.  But 
no  one  acquainted  with  the  Rev.  Wm. 
R.  Wright  will  doubi  but  that  his  state- 
ments are  correct  as  far  fis  the  records 
gave  him  knowledge  of  the  early  his- 
tory  of  the  church.  From  this  sermoa 
and  a  few  meager  records  found  and 
remembrance  among  the  older  members 
of  the  church,  we  learn  that  while  there 
had  been  occasional  Baptist  preaching 
in  the  village  of  Seneca  Falls  previous 
to  the  year  1828,  it  was  not  until  m  the 
early  spring  of  that  year  that  a  Bap^st 
charch  in  Seneca  Falls  took  on  form 
and  life.  During  the  winter  and  early 
spring  of  1827-28,  several  Baptist  fam- 
ilies moved  into  the  village  and  as  they 
became  acquainted  with  the  Baptists  al- 
ready here,  nothing  more  natural  than 
that  a  meetmg  be  called  to  see  what 
could  be  done  in  regard  to  a  church  or- 
ganization. This  meeting  was  called. 
It  was  held  in  the  old  school  house  then 
standing  on  North  Park  street.  It  was 
on  Thursday  afternoon,  June  5,  1828. 
At  this  meeting  there  were  present. 
Abner  Carry,  Harris  Usher,L  P.  Noble 
Polly  Wheeler,  Charlotte  Long,  Mary 
Ann  Cross,  Phebe  Cross,  Elizabeth 
Carry,  Huldah    Silsbee,    and   Harriet 


Noble,  ten  in  all.  This  gathering  was 
C!illed  to  order  by  Abner  Carry.  He 
was  chosen  uiodeiatur,  and  L.  P.  Noble 
was  chosen  clerk.  At  this  meetiog  it 
was  unanimously  decided  that  it  was 
desirable  and  expedient  to  form  a 
Baptist  organization  in  tho  village  of 
Seueca  Falls,  with  the  view  of  becom- 
ing a  church  and  erecting  a  church 
building  in  the  near  future.  Such  was 
the  nucleu'3,  the  beginning  of  the  Bap- 
tist church  of  Seneca  Falls.  On  the 
23lh  of  this  same  month,  the  month  of 
June,  one  by  name.  Oramus  Allen, came 
to  tlie  village,  and  proved  himself  a 
most  worthy  and  valuable  addition  to 
the  new  organizativm.  He  was  a  li- 
censed preacher.  He  had  pursued  a 
course  of  Theoh-gical  studies  in  the 
Hamilton  seminary.  He  became  at  once 
active  and  earnest,  in  pushing  forward 
theuew  interest,  and  on  the  16th  of  July, 
proper  notice  having  been  given  an- 
other meeting  was  held  in  the  same 
place,  for  the  purpose  of  completing 
the  organization  as  a  Baptist  church,  or 
as  then  named,  the  First  Baptist  society 
in  the  village  of  Seneca  Falls.  It  is 
evident  from  this  meeting  that  there 
were  a  great  many  in  the  community, 
at  least  friendly  and  well  disposed  to- 
ward the  movement,  for  we  find  that 
at  this  meeting  they  elected  nine  trus- 
tees  The  names  of  these  first 
chosen  trustees  of  the  church  were 
Ebenezrfr  Ingalls,  Harris  Usher,  John 
W.  Wheaton.  Jonathan  Metcalf,  Na- 
than Farnsworth,  Samuel  Bradley,  L. 
P.  Noble,  Abraham  Payne  and  Thomas 
Royston.  John  Metcalf  was  chosen 
president  of  the  board,  L.  P.  Noble, 
clerk,  and  Harris  Usher  treasurer.  At 
this  meeting  a  committee  was  appointed 
to  search  out  and  get  terms  for  a  lot 
suitable  for  a  church  building.  On 
July  26th,  Fannie  Spear  united  with 
the  association,  and  August  30th  Theo- 
polis  Cross  and  Jemima  Cross,  his  wife 
cast  in  their  lot  with  the  infant  church. 


73 


Their  number  had  now  raached  four- 
teen. At  this  nueli-.ijr  l)e[d  ou  the  30lh 
of  August,  1828.  tliirtfeti  ariiole^  if 
faith,  and  a  Church  Coveuaut  were 
adopti'd  ;  this  act  to  all  iiit>  nts  and  pur 
posi'3  constituted  the  orgniiiz;ition  of  a 
regular  Baptist  church.  Bui  in  ord«r 
to  roceivo  th«  recognition  and  follow- 
ship  of  other  Baptist  churches,  a  coun- 
cil represeuted  by  several  Baptist 
churclies  was  called  on  the  15th  of 
Septeniher,  1828.  This  council  whs 
for  the  double  purpose  of  recognizing 
the  church  and  the  advisal'.ility  of  st-t- 
ting  apart  to  the  Gospid  ministry,  Mr. 
Allen.  Nine  churches  were  repre- 
sented in  this  council  by  nineteen  dele- 
gates. Th's  meeting  was  held  in  the 
Presbyteri.in  cimrch,  the  church  having 
been  kindly  offered  for  ti)e  purpose. 
It  is  recorded  that  both  the  recognition 
of  the  church,  and  tlio  ordination  of 
Mr.  Alien  were  highly  satisfactory  to 
the  council.  At  the  next  c<^'nvonant 
meeting  of  the  church  held  October 
2otb,  Mr.  Allen  was  formally  and  un- 
animously chosen  as  the  first  pj:8tor, 
while  L.  P.  Noble  was  chosen  cliurch 
cleik  and  Abner  Carry,  deacon  At 
this  meeting  Nelson  Payne  was  received 
as  the  first  candidate  for  bap'isiu  and 
baptized  on  the  following  day,  Sunday. 
The  pastorate  of  the  Rev,  Mr.  Allen 
lasted  a  little  over  three  years.  Dur- 
ing this  pastorate  forty-five  were  added 
to  the  church  by  baptism  and  thirty  by 
letter,  and  from  fourteen  at  the  begin- 
ning as  constituent  member.-^,  at  the 
close  of  this  pastorate  the  church  re- 
ports a  membershif)  of  seventy,  and 
during  this  time  a  house  of  worship  had 
lieen  erected.  It  was  a  frame  build- 
ing. 44  feet  in  length  by  36  in  width. 
It  hfld  galleries  on  both  sides  and  in  the 
rear  end.  There  was  a  basement  to 
this  liuilding.  and  also  quite  a  com 
manding  steeple.  It  had  fifty  pews 
outside  of  the  galleries,  and  would  seat 
comfortably  300  people.  Four  large 
pillars  supported  and  beautified  the 
front,  facing  the  3a8t,  or  Center  street. 
There  had  bfen  vai-ions  lots  proposed 
beside  the  one  selected  and  on  which 
the  Baptist  church  now  stands  One 
on  Bridge  street  was  first  selected  and 
Mr.  Payne  offered  to  give  one  on  the 


north  side  of  the  river,  but  the  present 
location  was  finally  decided  upon.  The 
lot  was  bought  of  G.  V.  Sackett,  the 
consideration  was  $200,  but  Mr. 
Sackett  subscribed  $200  on  the  church 
building,  so  virtuftlly  the  lot  was  his 
subscription  t«)  the  church.  The  build- 
ing committee  consisted  of  Messrs. 
Payne,  Ingalls,  and  Noble.  This 
building  cost  not  far  from  $2,000.  It 
was  dedicated  May  30,  1830,  though 
services  had  been  held  sometime  pre- 
vious to  this  in  the  basi'ment,  doubtless 
during  the  entire  winter  of  1829  and 
1830.  I";  was  not  deiftcated  free  of 
debt.  It  was  a  small  indebtedness, 
only  $300,  but  it  became  a  sort  of 
trouble  and  anxiety  in  after  years. 
The  seats  were  rented,  the  rents  rang- 
ing from  $3  to  $15.  This  church  ap- 
plied and  was  admitted  into  the  On- 
tario Baptist  association  of  churches  in 
1829.  The  association  then  being 
wider  in  territory  than  at  present  had 
thirty  hine  churches  with  a  member- 
ship of  over  2,600.  The  Ontario  asso- 
ciation of  Baptist  churches  met  with 
this  church  for  the  first  time  in  1831. 
As  near  as  have  been  able  to  asceraaiu 
Mr.  Ailcji's  s'dary  from  the  state  con- 
vention was  $50,  from  church  $200, 
and  the  sec>nd  year  one  hundred  from 
the  convention,  the  third  year  he  had 
his  fire  wcod  iu  addition.  There  is 
mention  of  a  Sunday  school,  but 
whether  it  was  a  permanent  organiza- 
tion of  the  church,  run  the  entire  year 
is  quite  doubtful.  We  find  that  the 
church  at  the  outset  placed  itself  on 
record  as  a  missionary  church,  and 
througij  the  years  they  have  maintained 
in  quite  a  marked  degree  this  standard 
of  a  New  Testament  church.  After 
the  close  of  the  pastorate  of  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Allen,  the  church  seems  to  have 
been  without  a  pastor,  for  several 
months;  then  the  Rev.  .John  L.  La- 
tham settled  as  pastor,  but  only  re- 
mained about  eight  months.  The  next 
pastor  was  Henry  C  Vogoll.  This 
pastorate  began  iu  July  1833.  It  was 
ended  February,  1836,  lasting  about 
two  years  and  eight  months.  During 
this  pastorate  the  growth  of  the  church 
was  quite  marked,  though  by  letter 
rather  than  by  baptism,  forty  nine  hav- 


u 


ing  united  by  letter  and  sixteen  by  bap- 
tism, but  we  find  that  quite  a  nuir.ber 
were  dismissed.  During  tiiis  pastorate 
the  discipline  of  th3  church  was  re- 
sorted to  for  the  first  time,  and  severnl 
excluded,  so  the  net  gain  was  rot  large. 
We  now  for  the  first  lime  find  positive 
proof  from  the  r^icords  that  a  Sunday 
school  is  sustained  during  the  entire 
year,  with  an  average  attendance  of  30, 
this  year  36.  The  chui-oh  tHporis  over 
$100  as  its  benevolences.  This  same 
year  plans  were  adopted  and  an  effort 
made  to  pay  off  the  mortgage  indebt- 
endess  on  the  church.  It  was  nn  tffort 
however,  without  reaching  the  desired 
results,  for  the  mortgage  debt  was  not 
canceled.  These  years  1835  '36,  seiun 
to  have  been  years  of  great  aiiiuition 
concerning  the  temporal  inlert-sts  of 
the  church.  We  find  that  during  tb«  se 
years  the  advisability  of  building  a  p!ir- 
sonage  iB  agitated,  and  it  seeniud  an  as- 
sured thing  at  one  time,  thai  a  pars(!n. 
ao:e  would  be  built,  under  a  generous 
offer  made  by  Abrahaoj  Psiyne,  who 
then  owned  the  tract  of  laud  through 
which  Clinton  street  now  runs.  An 
agreement  had  been  msda  with  the 
trustees  of  the  church  that  he,  Abra- 
ham Pajne,  would  build  a  subi^tantial 
frame  house,  costing  $600,  abovo  this 
he  wouM  make  all  outside  necessary 
improvements,  properly  grade  the  lot 
and  then  deed  it  to  the  society  for  $600 
the  actual  cost  of  the  building,  but  a 
disparaging  and  somewhat  bilker  re- 
mark mK.de  by  the  pastor,  Mr.  Vogell, 
broke  the  contract,  and  we  repeat  what 
the  Rev.  M  Wright  has  well  said,  !:nd 
so  by  this  act  depriving  the  church  of  a 
good  parsonage  and  possibly  an  advan- 
tageous location  in  later  years  for  a 
house  of  worship.  Saps  Mr.  Wright  I 
have  been  unable  to  locate  definitely 
just  where  this  lot  was  situated  between 
Fall  street  and  the  railroad,  but  be- 
lieve it  to  be  the  lot  where  the  Wesley- 
an  Methodist  church  now  stands.  The 
basement  of  the  church  was  used  for  a 
time  as  a  dwelling  place,  the  tenant 
taking  care  of  the  church  for  the  use  of 
the  basement.  Earlier  the  basement 
had  been  used  as  a  school  mom,  used 
by  District  No.  2,  as  it  was  then  called. 
But  during   Mr.   Vogell's   pastorate   it 


was  fitted  up  for  its  legitimate  use  as  a 
prayer  and  coyferonce  room.  Follow- 
ing Mr.  Vogeli'd  pMStorate  was  that  of 
the  llev.  John  Jeffreey,  lasting  about 
two  years,  and  though  there  were  quite 
a  number  of  additions  both  by  letier 
and  bapti:^ras,  the  church  but  barely 
held  her  own,  so  many  re^joviiig  to 
other  phuies.  The  church  reporting  at 
the  close  of  this  pastorate  iu  the  fail  of 
1838,  only  78  meiub«ra.  But  about 
ttiis  time  Jacob  Knapp,  one  of  the  most 
noted  evangelists  of  ttiat  day,  cime  to 
labor  with  the  church.  He  was  with 
the  church  aboui  five  weekg.  I'ne  en- 
tire community  was  stirred  as  it  had 
never  been  stirred  heforeupou  ihequea 
tion  of  personal  salvation.  The  con- 
gregations were  so  large  that  a  scaf- 
folding was  erected  along  the  entire 
length  of  the  south  side  of  the  church, 
some  20  feet  wide.  It  was  built  on  a 
level  wiih  thy  base  of  the  windows,  the 
windows  all  taken  out  on  that  side  of 
the  church,  that  those  on  the  outside 
might  he  able  to  hear,  and  so  scores 
and  hur.dreds  night  after  night,  listened 
to  the  great  pre-^icber,  eeated  or  stand- 
ing on  the  outside  of  the  building. 
Nearly  200  conversions  were  reported, 
56  uniting  with  this  church  the  last  of 
September  and  88  more  before  the  close 
of  the  winter  months,  making  94  ad- 
ditions to  the  church  by  baptism.  As 
the  result  of  these  meetings,  the  mem- 
bership was  now  more  than  doubled 
and  that  within  a  period  of  less  than 
six  months.  The  Sunday  school  re- 
ported the  year  before  an  average  of  60 
It  was  in  this  winter  of  1839,  that  Rev. 
Z^nus  Freeman  becomes  p«stor  of  the 
church.  He  must  have  been  a  man 
possessed  of  great  social  gifts,  as  well 
as  a  true  Christian.  With  some  rich 
experiences,  now  in  the  very  vigor  of 
life,  he  served  the  church  as  pastor 
three  years,  coming  as  tie  did  in  the 
midst  of  such  wonderful  and  blessed 
ingatherings.  Coming  to  a  rejoicing 
and  united  people,  we  are  not  surprised 
to  find  his  pastorate  a  prosperous  and  a 
happy  one  During  this  pastorate  115 
were  added  to  the  church  by  baptism 
and  60  united  by  letter,  and  the  mem- 
bership reported  to  the  association  in 
1841  was    237,  but    the  growth  of   the 


75 


Sunday  school  was  more  marked.  la 
1839  reporting  an  nv^rag^H  »tteiidance 
of  2U0,  and  in  18-40.  Dearly  300,  with 
two  branch  schools  with  an  enrolloiont 
of  60  each.  This  indeed  wms  the  gold- 
en period  of  Sunday  Hchci  work,  at 
least  as  regarils  uurahers,  in  the  history 
thus  far  of  this  church,  but  sad  to  have 
to  report  that  ttiese  halcyon  days  were 
of  short  duration,  for  in  1841,  the  next 
year,  we  find  a  marked  falling  off,  only 
one  school  is  reported  now  and  that 
with  an  avera  ;e  of  oidy  200.  During 
1839  and  1840  we  are  to  d  in  tlie  rec- 
ords, of  the  large  attc'idance  of  the 
Sunday  af'.ernoon  convenant  meetintrs, 
and  that  in  tlie  moutli  of  Aui^ust,  1840, 
120  were  present,  and  during  these 
years  the  benevolences  of  the  church 
kept  pace  with  their  growth;  $300  as 
benevolence,  reported  in  1839  and 
$418  15  in  1840,  the  largest  amount 
ever  given  in  one  year  for  benevolence 
by  the  church.  Bright  record  indeed. 
Would  that  we  could  have  it  without  a 
cloud,  even  the  bigness  of  a  man's  hand 
overshadowing  this  pastorate.  But 
alas !  alas  !  if  we  would  be  true  to  the 
historical  setting  of  these  three  years, 
the  records  force  us  to  believe  that  there 
was  zeal  at  times,  that  was  not  accord- 
ing to  knowledge.  The  home  finarces 
of  ihe  church,  during  this,  the  most 
prosperous  period  of  her  history,  were 
most  fearfully  and  shamefully  neglect- 
ed. It  ever  becomes  the  church  as 
well  as  the  individual,  to  be  just  before 
overgeuerous,  that  she  may  preserve 
her  honor  and  integrity.  It  was  dur- 
ing the  pastorate  that  proceedings  are 
commenced  for  the  foreclosure  of  the 
$300  mortgage  and  unpaid  interests 
amounting  now  to  something  over  $400 
against  the  church.  We  are  glad  to 
find  however,  that  the  proceedings  were 
stopped,  the  debt  paid,  one  man,  Geo. 
H.  McClarv,  paying  $270  of  this 
amount.  During  the  three  years  of 
Mr.  freeman's  pastorate,  special  ser- 
vices were  held  each  day  by  a  noted 
evangelist.  In  1840,  evantreli.stic  ser 
vices  were  conducted  by  Eider  Sher- 
down,  lasting  Several  weeks,  when 
more  than  one  hundred  conversions 
were  reported,  about  sixty  uniting  with 
the  Baptist  church ;  and   this   year  V. 


Sullivan,  a  sailor,  was  licensed  by  the 
churcli  to  preach  the  Gospel.  After 
the  pastorate  of  Ki  v.  Mr.  Freeman,  the 
church  seems  to  have  been  without  a 
paPtor  for  a  few  months.  During  this 
time  a  call  was  extended  both  to  the 
Rev.  I.  S.  Bdckus  and  N,  Baker,  but 
for  some  reason  not  stated  m  the  rec- 
01  ds  l:ioth  declined  to  accept.  A  call  is 
then  extended  to  Rev.  E.  R.  I'inney. 
It  is  acccepled  and  he  remains  as  pas- 
tor of  the  church  for  about  two  years. 
The  records  show  no  advancement  in 
church  life,  either  in  its  temporal  or 
spiritual  welfare  the  first  eighteen 
mouths.  The  discipline  of  the  church 
is  resorted  too  and  durmg  the  first 
eighteen  months,  100  are  eitiier  dis- 
missed by  loiter,  excluded  or  dropped, 
and  less  than  two  short  years  before 
reporting  as  benevolences  upward  of 
$400,  now  comparatively  nothing.  In 
1842,  politics,  and  especially  the  ques- 
tion of  slavery  agitated  the  church,  and 
an  the  month  of  July,  1842,  a  resolu- 
tion was  passed  by  the  church  refusing 
to  admit  slave  holders,  or  their  en- 
lightened apologists,  and  sympathizers 
to  their  pulpit  or  their  communion,  and 
a  little  later  a  resolution  is  passed 
against  the' use  or  traffic  of  intoxicat- 
ing liquors,  and  that  unfermented  wine 
ousy  be  used  at  the  Communion.  Early 
in  the  year  1843.  the  pastor,  E.  R. 
Pinny,  with  quite  a  number  of  the 
church,  joined  h'^artily  in  the  belief  and 
teaching,  that  the  second  coming  of  oar 
Lord  would  take  place  before  the  close 
of  the  year.  Because  of  this  belief  and 
teaching,  special  meetings  were  begun 
early  in  this  pear,  with  marked  results, 
as  far  as  additions  are  concerned  equal- 
ing  anything  in  the  past,  but  this  large- 
ly accounted  for,  without  doubt,  be- 
cause every  sermon  was  now  a  most 
earnest  effort  to  convince  the  hearer 
that  Uhrist's  second  appoarin*  ,  and 
that  for  the  jucgment  of  the  world, 
would  take  place  before  the  close  of 
the  year  1843.  During  this  year  not 
far  from  125  were  baptized  into  the 
fellowsiiip  of  this  church,  and  the 
church  now  reported  the  greatest  num- 
ber that  she  has  ever  reported  during 
her  history,  242  raembt^rs.  At  a  busi- 
ness   meeting    December,    1843,     the 


76 


church  voted  to  censure,  and  if  need 
be,  discipline  any  ctmrch  member,  wtio 
should  be  guilty  of  publishing  among 
the  uugodly  and  worldly  the  business 
transactions  of  the  church  meetings. 
Keen  disappoiutmeut  and  the  false  po- 
sition held  by  Mr.  Pinuey  aud  a  large 
number  of  bis  supporters,  and  which 
they  had  so  persistautly  advocated, 
when  the  year  passed  away  and  their 
teachings  had  been  proven  false  by 
Christ  not  appearing,  as  they  had  so 
positively  declared  he  would,  Mr. 
Pinney  did  not  re-canvass  bis  ground 
and  come  back  to  a  sound  Scriptural 
basis,  or  to  loyalty  to  Baptist  principles 
and  teachings,  or  if  having  cbangsd  his 
views  so  they  no  longer  haraionized 
with  those  of  the  Baptist  denomination, 
one  of  whose  pulpits  he  occupied,  he 
should  have  stepped  down  and  out  at 
once,  but  no,  he  remained  until  Sunday 
morning,  February  24th,  1844,  when 
culminated  this  errofieous  teaching 
that  had  taken  possession  of  the  mind 
and  heart  of  the  pastor,  and  which  the 
church  had  allowed  to  go  on  unchecked 
On  this  Sunday  morning  Mr.  Pinney 
entered  the  Baptist  pulpit  for  the  last 
time,  having  handed  in  his  resignation 
the  day  before  to  take  effect  on  the  fol- 
lowing day,  Sunday.  He  preached  a 
most  egotistical  and  scathing  sermon, 
hurling  awful  charges  against  the 
church,  denouncing  her  as  Bab) Ion,  all 
Christian  churches  were  placed  to- 
gether. His  text  was  R«v.  18:4, 
"And  I  heard  another  voice  from  heav- 
en saying.  Come  out  of  her  my  people, 
that  ye  be  not  partakers  of  her  sins, 
and  that  ye  receive  not  of  her  plagues," 
and  then  calling  upon  all  who  were  de- 
sirous of  escaping  impending  danger 
and  coming  plagues  to  follow  him,  he 
seized  his  bat,  stepped  down  from  the 
pulpit,  leaving  the  church,  for  the 
churche's  good,  but  not  until  he  had 
done  the  church  an  irreparable  damage. 
Fifty  three  members  unwisely  followed 
his  example,  influenced  by  his  rash 
statements  and  went  out  with  him  like 
sheep  without  a  shepherd,  not  knowing 
whither  they  went,  and  many  others 
through  the  persuasion  of  Mr.  Pinney 
and  friends  who  had  already  gone  out. 
left  the  church,  and  so  not  far  from  80 


members  withdrew  from  the  church  as 
the  result  of  this  movement  on  tht^  pai  t 
of  Mr.  Pinney,  and  the  church  whs 
compelled  to  pass  through  the  gnai-  st 
trial  of  her  history  thus  far,  ami  from 
which  she  has  not  yet  fully  reiovered. 
But  lew  churches  could  have  borne 
such  a  trial  and  survived,  as  Mr.  Fin- 
ney remained  here  untii  bis  death, moje 
than  len  years  after,  firm  and  unwav- 
ering in  his  new  faith  until  the  end, 
and  seeking  most  earnestly  at  all  times 
to  lend  as  many  of  his  former  flock  to 
ac^icpt  his  views  as  possible.  After 
this  dark  page  of  the  church  history  we 
find  quite  a  long  period,  covering  more 
than  a  year,  when  the  records  are  si- 
lent as  I'egards  church  life,  and  we 
almost  wonder  that  the  broken  threads 
were  ever  again  taken  up  and  that  the 
pulse  life  of  the  church  should  begin 
to  beat;  but  in  the  iate  summer  of 
1845  a  call  is  extended  to  the  llev.  N. 
Baker,  who  was  the  pastor  of  the 
Waterloo  church,  to  become  pastor  of 
this  church,  preaching  here  in  the  after- 
noon. Three  years  before,  when  the 
church  was  in  her  glory  and  strength, 
for  some  reason  the  call  then  extended 
to  him  was  refused ;  but  now  when  in 
her  deepest  humilation,  few  in  numbers 
shorn  of  her  strength,  he  accepts  the 
call.  The  Waterloo  church  is  soon 
given  up  and  for  nearly  four  years  he 
serves  this  church  as  pastor.  lie  had 
very  much  to  contend  with,  not  only 
caused  by  the  schism  that  had  nearly 
wrecked  the  church,  but  also  because 
of  the  bad  management  of  the  church 
finances.  Two  of  the  previous  pastors 
had  only  been  paid  in  part.  A  most 
faithful  pastor,  but  with  so  much  to 
contend  with,  but  little  advancement  is 
made  in  the  membership  of  the  church, 
though  much  is  done  in  bringing  about 
abetter  feeling  and  quickening  the 
spiritual  life  of  the  church.  The  next 
pastorate  is  that  of  Rev.  J.  B.  Burnett. 
He  remained  only  a  few  months,  and 
in  May,  1849,  Rev.  H.  H.  Hsft  is  called. 
He  begins  his  pastorate  in  June  and  re- 
mains until  August,  1850— his  pastor- 
ate lasting  about  four  mouths.  Noth- 
ing of  great  note  is  recorded  during 
this  short  pastorate.  And  during  the 
next  two  yaars,  1851-2,  the  records  are 


77 


very  meager,  but  enough  is  g-ivcn  to 
know  that  during  this  time  the  church 
had  at  least  two  settled  pastors,  the 
Kev.  Wm.  Frary  and  the  Kev.  Win. 
Leggett.  Two  ware  baptised  into  the 
church  by  each  of  the  pasiors.  The 
K'V.  N.  Baker  tlien  supplied  the  church 
for  a  time  During  this  time  the 
records  were  revised,  and  the  member- 
ship now  reported  is  101.  A  eall  was 
now  extended  to  M,  W.  Holmes  to  be- 
come pastor,  but  for  some  reason  not 
slated  withdrawn,  and  Rev.  J.  R.  Whit- 
man, who  was  living  in  the  village  and 
a  member  of  the  church,  acted  as  a  sup- 
ply for  some  months.  In  FeljruHjy. 
1854,  Kev.  J.  V.  Pitman  became  pastor 
of  the  church,  continuing  his  pastorate 
a  little  over  two  years,  and  while  the 
benevolences  of  the  church  were  con- 
siderably increased  and  six  baptized 
into  the  fellowship  of  the  church,  there 
seems  to  have  been  no  net  g«iu  in  the 
membership,  but  a  loss  during  these 
years,  as  the  church  rt-ports  in  the  fall 
of  '56,  a  m<'mbership  of  but  90.  In 
November,  1855,  Rev.  Ira  Smith  was 
called  to  the  pasiorate  of  this  chuureh. 
Of  this  pastorate,  the  KfeV  Mr.  Wright 
says  of  the  first  four  months  we  find  no 
record,  nothing  is  said.  We  might  wish 
we  could  find  nothing  afterwards; 
but  not  so.  Gross  charges  of  immor- 
ality are  preferred  against  him.  He 
is  dismissed  from  the  church.  Going 
forth  to  make  trouble  elsewhere — set- 
tling in  Kenosha,  Wis  ,  where  he  was 
excluded  from  the  fellowship  of  the 
church  and  from  the  pastorate.  Still 
downward,  as  ever  must  bo  the  course 
of  any  church  with  such  a  pastor  and 
the  church  now  reports  only  80  mem- 
bers. Late  in  the  yefir  '57,  C.  C.  Hart 
became  pastor  of  the  church,  only  to 
remain  about  eight  monts.  And  in 
December  '59  Rev  William  Rees  ac 
cepts  a  call  from  the  church  to  the 
pastorate.  Tl)is  pastorate  lasted  al.'out 
8  years  and  was  without  doubt  a  suc- 
cessful one.  Harmony  was  established 
while  more  were  added  to  the  church 
than  in  the  ten  years  preceding,  and 
tne  church  now  reports  a  membership 
of  116.  And  the  bunday  school  has 
doubled  since  its  last  report, now  report- 
ing in  1861,  an  average  attendance  of 


100.  It  is  during  this  pastorate  that  a 
new  church  buiding  is  agitated,  but  it 
resuUed  in  repairing  the  old  building 
at  the  cost  of  about  $500.  Rev.  Ferris 
Scott  wns  the  next  pastor,  nominally 
from  April  '62  until  Juno  '67,  or  for 
something  over  five  years;  but  of  this 
time  he  was  away  as  chaplain  in  the 
army  for  better  than  two  years,  so  that 
a  little  over  three  years  of  actual  ser- 
vice was  given  to  the  church.  And 
while  thirty-one  were  baptized  and 
uniied  with  the  church  there  was  no 
gain  in  number,  but  a  net  loss  of  six- 
teen, for  after  revising  the  records  the 
church,  in  '66  reports  but  one  hundred 
members.  In  the  year  '67  a  committee 
was  appointed  to  try  and  raise  $1,500 
for  the  purpose  of  purchasing  a  parsou- 
fige,  but  the  parsonage  failed  to  mater- 
ialize; and  the  snme  in  regard  to  a 
commiitee  appointed  about  the  same 
time  to  see  if  a  lot  could  be  secured  for 
the  erection  of  a  new  church  building. 
After  Mr.  Scotts  resignation,  in  '67,  a 
call  wns  given  to  two  difierent  men, 
but  both  refused  to  accept,, doubtless  ou 
account  of  salary,  though  for  the  first 
time  in  the  history  of  the  church  thus 
far,  a  Mr.  Crane  is  called  at  a  salary  of 
$1,000.  The  church  building  was 
seemingly  insured  for  the  first  time  in 
1867.  It  was  in  the  fall  of  '67  that 
Ira  Bennett  became  pastor,  his  pastor- 
ate lasting  about  three  years.  It  was 
during  this  pastorate  that  the  present 
church  building  was  erected.  This 
building  is  about  45  feet  in  width  and 
72  in  length,  exelusive  of  the  tower, 
which  adds  an  additional  14  feet.  The 
corner  stone  was  Inid  in  the  summer  of 
1858,  and  the  dedication  took  place 
March  4th,  1869,  W.  H.  Maynard 
preaching  the  dedicatory  sermon.  This 
house  of  worship,  outside  of  the  lot, 
cost  about  $12,000.  About  $9,000 
was  raised  by  subscription  and  $3,000 
was  secured  by  a  mortgage  loan.  As 
we  look  back  over  this  history  and  note 
the  membtTship  of  the  church,  only 
about  100,  it  must  have  been  a  great 
undertaking,  calling  for  faith  and  great 
sacrifice  on  the  part  of  this  people.  We 
may  be  wrong,  but  we  think  a  great 
mistake  was  made  in  this,  that  such  a 
grand    self-sacrificing    effort  made  by 


tofC. 


78 


this  people  had  not  beea  to  the  construc- 
ti'-'D  of  their  church  building  ou  the 
north  side  of  tho  river.  As  au  item  of 
interest,  and  cftusiug  a>ore  or  less  of 
speculation,  rfVCiliug  somewhat  of  hu 
man  nature  on  at  least  two  sides,  we 
find  that  in  the  winter  of  1869  the  Rev. 
iVlr.  Burnhaui,  a  noted  evaugelisr,  had 
be'ju  holding  exrra  meetings  for  three 
or  fcur  nights  v^-ith  the  expectation  of 
continuing  for  two  or  three  weeks  at 
least,  Tho  house  was  already  crowded 
and  cou!*iderable  interest  manifested. 
When  on  this  evening,  the  third  or 
fourth  in  the  series  of  meetings,  an 
alarm  of  lire  was  sounded  and  quite  a 
large  number  went  oul,  which  was 
quite  natural.  Whereupon  Mr.  Burn- 
ham  came  down  from  the  pulpii,  re- 
fused to  go  on  with  the  service,  and 
early  the  next  morning,  notwithstand 
ing  he  was  urj^cd  to  remain,  left  the 
village.  The  efi<ct  can  readily  be  im- 
agined. The  opportunity  w.-is  lof4,  and 
it  was  not  only  humiliating  bu?.  quite  a 
set-back  to  the  church.  In  October, 
1870.  B.  F.  Garfield  became  pastor  of 
the  church.  This  pastorate  lasted  a 
little  over  two  years  During  this  pas- 
torate the  house  purchased  in  Bayard 
stie'^t  at  the  time  of  the  building  of  the 
church,  three  years  before,  was  re- 
paired at  au  expense  of  about  $250, 
and  came  into  use  as  a  parsonage.  On 
October  1st,  1873,  William  R.  Wright 
began  his  pastorate.  At  this  time  the 
church  records  were  carefully  revised 
and  the  church  reports  but  sixty-nine 
members,  while  the  indebtedness  of 
the  church  at  this  time,  all  told,  is  re- 
ported as  $4,675,  somewhat  of  a  dark 
outlook.  The  church  is  assisted  two  or 
three  years  by  the  state  convention  in 
the  support  of  the  pastor,  the  debt  is 
d'.'creased  somewhat  and  much  good 
and  lasting  work  accomplished  during 
this  pastorate.  It  wj'S  the  longest  pas- 
torate of  any  within  the  history  of  the 
church  up  to  this  time —  a  little  over 
five  years.  There  were  fifty  nine  addi 
tions  by  baptism.  In  1874  the  pastor 
was  assisted  in  a  series  of  meetings  for 
several  weeks  by  his  uncle,  the  Rev. 
W.  C.  Wright,  and  as  a  result  of  these 
meetings  thirty  united  with  the  church 
and  in  '76,  twenty-seven  as  a  result   of 


the  E.  P.  Hammond  meetings.  The 
memi<ership  was  doubled  during  this 
pastorale,  reporting  at  its  beginning 
sixty  nine  aud  at  its  close  one  hundred 
and  tluriy-oine  men.bers.  JJuring  the 
yvar  '76  the  use  of  the  bapistry  is 
loaned  to  the  Cougregationnlists.  And 
this  y(!/i,r,  1876,  the  church  was  reor- 
ganiz  d  under  the  new  centennial  trus 
tee  law.  In  the  baptisms  of  tho  year 
one  was  baptized  nearly  eighty-eight 
years  of  age,  without  doubt  the  oldest 
person  received  by  baptism  during  the 
entire  history  of  the  church.  And  this 
year,  1877,  the  church  reports:  Valu- 
ation of  church  property,  $15,000 
mortgage  debt,  $1,000;  floating  debt, 
$2,000;  enrolled  in  the  Sunday  school, 
168  ;  church  membership  121.  In  the 
year,  1878,  the  church  votes  to  loan  its 
baptismal  robes  to  both  the  Presby- 
terian and  Methodist  societies.  The 
mortagage  bebt  of  $1,000  now  coming 
due  at  the  close  of  '77,  and  the  church 
having  a  floating  debt  of  $2,000,  it  is 
voted  to  mortgage  the  church  property 
for  $2,000,  $1,000  to  pay  oft  the  old 
mortgage  and  $1,000  to  pay  on  the 
floating  debt.  The  choir  about  this 
time  v/as  moved  from  the  gallery  to  its 
present  position  at  the  left  of  the  pul- 
pit. There  seems  to  have  been  a  re- 
action set  in,  since  the  E.  P.  Ham- 
mond meetings  for  says,  the  letter  of 
the  church  to  the  association,  the»'e  has 
not  been  in  years  so  much  world liness 
in  the  church  as  during  the  past  winter. 
The  prayer  meetings  of  the  church  are 
poorly  attended,  the  congregation  small 
and  the  financial  obligations  against  the 
church  have  increased  somewhat  The 
Rev.  Mr.  Wright  resigns  in  November 
1878,  and  Rev.  R-  E.  Williams  is  at 
once  called  to  t!ie  pastorate.  He  re- 
mained but  six  mouths.  Of  this  short 
pastorate  little  is  said.  He  was  greatly 
admired  as  a  preacher  and  as  a  cultured 
Christian  gentleman.  No  additions 
are  made  to  the  church  and  the  finan- 
cial obligations  of  the  church  continue 
to  grow.  On  the  first  of  January, 1880, 
the  Rev.  R.  B.  Montgomery  became 
pastor  of  this  church.  His,  too,  was  a 
short  pastorate,  lasting  only  thirteen 
months,  but  remarkable  in  this,  that  he 
succeeding  in  securing  pledges  at  home 


79 


and  abroad  sufficient  to  meet  tlie  entire 
morlgHi^e  det)t  and  inlereat.  Antl  for 
this  he  richly  merited  and  rect'ived  the 
heartfelt  gratitude  of  the  church  and 
society,  ;a  vote  to  this  eflect  bein^^ 
VHCf'rdcd  on  the  books  uf  the  church 
In  May,  1881,  R*.v.  John  Gilchrist  be- 
came pastor.  Under  this  pastorate 
there  was  some  friction  in  the  chuich. 
It  Jed  to  the  excUisiou  of  one  or  more 
members  and  the  withdrawal  of  several 
others.  The  pastor  at  once  resigned, 
and  closed  another  p-istorate  of  loss 
than  two  years.  The  church  wfis  tl\en 
supplied  for  n  fe^v  months  by  Rev.  J. 
J.  rhe!i)s.  A  call  was  given  llcv. 
Seward  Kobsou.  Accepted  and  he  be- 
came the  pnstor  of  the  church  Decem- 
ber 1st,  1882  He  remained  as  pnstor 
a  little  over  four  years.  Thirty-uine 
were  added  to  the  church  by  baptism. 
During  this  pastorate,  in  1885,  the 
district  secre'ary  of  the  st;)te  couvcntion 
Rev.  Mr.  Brooks,  assisted  the  pustor 
in  evangelist  services  ivr  several  weeks 
There  hr.d  been  a  continuous  running 
behind  in  the  pastor's  oalary,  and  at 
the  lime  of  his  resignation  the  church 
was  obligated  to  their  pastor  to  the 
anioui't  of  over  $750.  In  June  the 
Rev.  James  Grant,  a  student  in  the 
Rochester  seminary,  is  cilh/'d  as  a  sop 
ply.  This  is  the  year  '88.  and  on  May 
Is't,  1889,  the  Rev.  S.  -T.  White  becomes 
pastor.  Though  but  few  conversions 
are  reported  aud  something  In  bene- 
volences  ouslde  of  the  homo  field,  yet 
few  the  churches  and  few  the  pastors 
that  made  the  sacrifices  that  this  church 
must  have  made,  and  the  pastor  as 
well,  to  leave  on  record  the  fact  that 
nearly  $1,400  had  been  niised  during 
the  fir^t  year  of  Mr.  White's  pHstorate, 
the  Rev.  Seward  Robins'.n,  the  former 
pastor,  paid  in  full,  though  the  chun'h 
was  owing  him  more  than  $400  when 
this  pastorate  began.  And  so  at  the 
assoclational  gathering  held  in  Septem- 
ber, 1890,  the  church  reports  that  they 
are  yjractically  out  of  debt,  but  in  their 
present  condition,  unable  longer  to 
meet  the  running  expenses  of  the 
church,  and  appealing  to  the  State  and 
county  missionary  comtnittoes  to  know 
what  can  be  dene.  On  March  27tb, 
1891,  it  was  voted   to   have  the   secre- 


tary of  the  Baptist  State  convention 
visit  the  fiiild  and  hold  a  missionary 
coiiveution  with  this  church.  Such  a 
cotivenlion  was  held  and  was  thought 
to  be  of  real  |)rofit  to  the  church.  The 
Rev.  S.  11.  White's  pastorate  ended  in 
July,  1891,  he  having  been  pastor  of 
th«  church  a  little  over  two  years  The 
Ciiunh  w.is  .".gain  wi'hout  a  pastor  and 
pre  ichiiig  was  on'y  snsliiued  part  of 
the  time,  and  this  by  sup[;li'js.  But  on 
November  30ih,  1891,  a  meeting  is 
called  for  the  purpose  of  deciding  upon 
ae.d  c'llling  a  pastor,  so  advised  by  the 
Slate  convention  and  the  missionary 
commlctee  of  the  O.itario  B  iptist  as 
snciation.  At  this  meetii'g  it  is  de- 
cided  to  extend  a  call  to  the  Rev.  E.  C. 
Long,  tiieu  of  Mancliester,  N.  Y.  Such 
a  call  is  extended,  but  he  d>'clines  to 
accept.  Another  nieetin.';  is  cnlh'd  for 
January  12th  to  tnke  under  considera- 
tion  the  advisability  of  extending  a 
call  to  Rev.  J.  Cody,  and  by  a  vote  of 
the  church  it  is  decided  not  to  extend 
thecal!.  And  on  January  28.  1892,  a 
ttiird  and  similar  meeting  is  c'llled  to 
take  ii.to  consideration  the  advisability 
of  extending  a  call  to  the  Rev.  S.  M. 
Nowlaud,  then  of  Clifton  Springs,  N. 
Y  A  vote  is  tnkei!,  and  in  the  letter 
sent  notifying  him  of  the  decision  of 
the  church,  it  was  stated  thil  the  vote 
was  unanimous  in  extending  sach  a 
call,  aud,  whether  wisely  or  unwisely, 
tiie  present  pastor  of  the  church  ac- 
cepted it,  comoaencing  his  labors  April 
1st,  1892.  Of  this  pastorate  we  need 
to  say  little.  It  is  not  finished  as  yet 
But  as  it  already  covers  a  period  of 
nearly  twelve  years,  already  more  than 
double  that  of  any  other  in  the  history 
of  the  church,  and  as  it  is  a  history  of 
church  life  you  have  asked  for  in  this 
paper,  a  brief  summary  of  the  present 
pastor's  work  with  this  church  cannot 
be  out  of  place.  During  these  twelve 
years  it  h.<is  not  been  all  sunshine  We 
have  had  some  cloudy  and  dark  days  of 
d'.scourHgement;  and  yet  on  the  whole 
it  has  been  a  happy,  contented  and  we 
trust,  in  some  smiU  degree,  a  prosper- 
ous pastorate  thus  far.  When  this 
pastorate  began  the  church  records 
gave  a  membership  of  110.  The  pres 
ont  pastor  has  baptised  into  the  church 


80 


0  014  108  333  8     i 


fellowship,  132 ;  70  have  been  re- 
ceived by  letter.  The  r)rosent  member- 
ship of  the  church  is  238,  the  largest 
number,  with  the  exception  of  the  one 
year,  1843,  ever  reported  by  this 
churcn.  lu  briefly  summing  up  the 
history  of  the  First  Baptist  church  of 
Seneca  Frills,  NY.,  beginning  in  1828 
we  find  that  the  church  has  a  history  of 
seventy-five  yenrs  Twenty  three  past- 
ors The  shortest  pastorate  was  that 
of  Rev,  Mr.  Williams,  lasting  only  six 
months;  the  longest  that  of  the  present 
pastor,  now  nearly  twelve  years;  the 
next  longest,  that  of  the  Rev.  Wm.  R. 
Wright,  a  little  over  five  years  We 
give  the  names  and  length  of  each 
pastorate:  1,  Orsamus  Allen,  3  years  9 
nion'hs;  2.  Henry  C.  Vogeil,  2  years  9 
mouths;  3,  John  Jeffres,  2  years;  4 
Zeuas  Freeman,  3  years ;  5,  E  R. 
Pinney,  2  years  1  month;  6,  Nathan 
Baker,  4  years;  7,  W.  H.  Hafi,  1  year 
2  months;  8,  Wm.  Frary.  1  year ;  3, 
J.  B.  Pitman,  2  years;  10.  Wm.  Leg- 
gett  1  year  2  months;  11,  Ira  Smith,  8 
months;  12,  C.  C.  Hart,  7  months:  13, 
Wm.  Rees,  3  ytiars;  14,  Ferris  Scott,  5 
years  4  months:  15.  Ira  Bennett,  2 
years  10  months;  16.  B.  F.  Garfi*^ld,  2 
years  3  months;  17.  Wm.  R.  Wright, 
5  years  3  months;  18.  R.  E.  Wililaras,  6 
months;  19,  B.  R.  Montgomery.  1 
year;    month    20,     John    Gilchristt,   1 


year  11  months;  21,  Sewaid  Robinson 
4  years  4  mouihs ;  22,  S.  H.  White, 
2  years  3  months;  23.  S  M.  Newland, 
11  years  9  mouths:  yeai's  of  pastoral 
service.  64  years  8  months;  average  2 
years  10  mouths.  Nearly  eleven  years 
of  its  history  the  church  has  been  with- 
out a  regular  pat'tor.  Ther«  has  been 
been  no  uniform  salary,  and  it  has 
bet^n  from  $260  to  $1,000.  Not  far 
from  700  persons  have  been  baptised 
into  the  church  during  its  history  and 
about  400  have  been  rec(nved  by  letter. 
There  were  14  constituent  members, 
30  not  far  from  1,100  persons  have 
been  connected  with  this  church  during 
its  history.  The  largest  number,  as 
already  stated,  in  the  membership  of  the 
church  was  at  the  close  of  1843.  when 
the  church  reported  a  membership  of 
242;  the  smallest  number  since  the 
first  partorate,  69,  in  the  year  1873. 
To-day  the  church  reports  238  mem- 
bers, the  Sunday  school  the  largest 
since  the  ytar  1842,  or  within  a  period 
of  more  than  sixty  years;  free  from 
debt,  not  by  any  means  satisfied  or 
accomplishing  what  she  should,  but 
united  and  a  measux'e  of  prosperity  at- 
tending the  efforts  of  paator  and  people, 
for  which  we  give  praise  and  thanks- 
giving to  Almighty  Gnd,  who  we  be- 
lieve has  led  us  thus  far,  and  we  look 
forward  hopefully  into  the  future.